Etymograph

English

absolutely

Absolutely comes from Middle English absolutly.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500absolutly1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1926absolutely1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English absolutely
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1926, Nicomachus of Gerasa, Frank Egleston Robbins: “Another characteristic of numbers, which does not concern their…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500absolutlyWiktionary, English absolutely
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1926absolutelyWiktionary, English absolutely. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1926, Nicomachus of Gerasa, Frank Egleston Robbins: “Another characteristic of numbers, which does not concern their…”

first attested First attested in 1425 (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

The story

First attested in 1425.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

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Today it means

adv In an absolute or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “absolutely”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English absolutly / absolutely