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absolutism

1 of 1noun
/ˈæb.sə.ˌlu.tɪ.zəm/
Forms:absolutisms
1

a form of government in which the ruler holds absolute, unchecked power

  • The king's decrees were law, illustrating the nature of absolutism.
  • Absolutism meant the emperor's word was law.
  • Many European monarchies practiced absolutism in the 17th and 18th centuries.
  • Critics of absolutism argued that it concentrated too much power in a single ruler.
  • The fall of absolutism in England led to the establishment of parliamentary limits on the monarchy.
2

the belief in the existence of an absolute being

  • Medieval philosophers debated the tenets of absolutism in theology.
  • Absolutism posits a being whose authority is unlimited and universal.
  • His lectures on moral absolutism explored the concept of divine perfection.
  • Absolutism underpins certain religious philosophies.
  • The scholar traced the influence of absolutism on medieval ethics.
3

the principle or system of unlimited and unchecked governmental power

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  • The monarch ruled under the doctrine of political absolutism.
  • Absolutism often leads to centralization of authority.
  • Critics argued that absolutism stifled freedom of the press.
  • The rise of absolutism in the 17th century reshaped European politics.
  • Absolutism allows rulers to act without legal or parliamentary constraints.
4

dominance maintained through threat of punishment, coercion, or violence

  • The gang maintained absolutism over the neighborhood through fear.
  • Absolutism in the prison ensured compliance from the inmates.
  • Absolutism in the office culture created a climate of intimidation.
  • The teacher's absolutism discouraged any questioning from students.
  • Absolutism can be an effective, though morally questionable, form of control.