Absolute vs. Infinity: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 19, 2023
"Absolute" refers to something total, not relative or moderated; "Infinity" signifies something without any limit or end, immeasurable.
Key Differences
"Absolute" represents an unqualified state, often used in philosophy, law, and science to describe something unconditional, irrespective of circumstances. In contrast, "Infinity" is a term most used in mathematics and philosophy, denoting an immeasurable quantity or unboundedness, a concept rather than a specific state or entity.
"Absolute" suggests completeness and wholeness, something that is not dependent on external factors for definition or validity. "Infinity," however, refers to endlessness or limitless extent, whether in space, quantity, or time, a concept that defies conventional understanding of depth or magnitude.
The term "Absolute" can also indicate something free from imperfection, pure and faultless, an ultimate standard. Meanwhile, "Infinity" suggests something that extends beyond normal or human comprehension, something that cannot be confined within boundaries or limitations.
In practical use, "Absolute" is often used to denote something that is certain and unequivocal, not subject to conditions or exceptions. "Infinity," on the other hand, represents the idea of endless possibility or inexhaustibility, often symbolizing an ideal or theoretical limit rather than a tangible entity.
Both "Absolute" and "Infinity" serve as important concepts in various fields, the former often related to authority, truth, and precision, while the latter is associated with the eternal, the immeasurable, and the boundless.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Unconditional, complete
Without limit, endless
Context of Usage
Law, philosophy, science
Mathematics, philosophy
Connotation
Certainty, authority
Endless possibility, immeasurability
Representation
State, condition
Concept, ideal
Scope
Fixed, defined
Unbounded, limitless
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Absolute and Infinity Definitions
Absolute
Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional.
Infinity
Endless time; eternity.
The concept of infinity perplexes both theologians and scientists.
Absolute
Not qualified or diminished in any way; total.
Her trust in him was absolute.
Infinity
A point in space or time that appears to be so distant as to be unattainable.
The road stretched into infinity.
Absolute
Viewed or existing independently and not in relation to other things.
Absolute truth is rare.
Infinity
The quality of having no limits or boundaries in time, space, extent, or magnitude.
The infinity of the cosmos has challenged thinkers throughout history.
Absolute
Not subject to any limitation; unconditional.
He demanded absolute loyalty.
Infinity
An infinite or extremely great number or amount.
There seemed to be an infinity of options.
Absolute
Unqualified in extent or degree; total
Absolute silence.
Infinity
The quality or condition of being infinite.
Absolute
Not limited by restrictions or exceptions
An absolute right.
Infinity
Unbounded space, time, or quantity.
Absolute
Being fully such; utter
An absolute fool.
Infinity
An indefinitely large number or amount.
Absolute
Unconstrained by constitutional or other provisions
An absolute ruler.
Infinity
(Mathematics) The limit that a function is said to approach at x = a when (x) is larger than any preassigned number for all x sufficiently near a.
Absolute
Not mixed; pure
Absolute oxygen.
Infinity
A range in relation to an optical system, such as a camera lens, representing distances great enough that light rays reflected from objects within the range may be regarded as parallel.
Absolute
Not to be doubted or questioned; positive
Absolute proof.
Infinity
A distance setting, as on a camera, beyond which the entire field is in focus.
Absolute
Of, relating to, or being a word, phrase, or construction that is isolated syntactically from the rest of a sentence, as the referee having finally arrived in The referee having finally arrived, the game began.
Infinity
(uncountable) endlessness, unlimitedness, absence of a beginning, end or limits to size.
Absolute
Of, relating to, or being a transitive verb when its object is implied but not stated. For example, inspires in We have a teacher who inspires is an absolute verb.
Infinity
A number that has an infinite numerical value that cannot be counted.
Absolute
Of, relating to, or being an adjective or pronoun that stands alone when the noun it modifies is being implied but not stated. For example, in Theirs were the best, theirs is an absolute pronoun and best is an absolute adjective.
Infinity
An idealised point which is said to be approached by sequences of values whose magnitudes increase without bound.
Absolute
Relating to measurements or units of measurement derived from fundamental units of length, mass, and time.
Infinity
(uncountable) A number which is very large compared to some characteristic number. For example, in optics, an object which is much further away than the focal length of a lens is said to be "at infinity", as the distance of the image from the lens varies very little as the distance increases further.
Absolute
Relating to absolute temperature.
Infinity
The symbol ∞. Category:en:Infinity
Absolute
(Law) Complete and unconditional; final
An absolute divorce.
Infinity
Unlimited extent of time, space, or quantity; eternity; boundlessness; immensity.
There can not be more infinities than one; for one of them would limit the other.
Absolute
Something that is absolute.
Infinity
Unlimited capacity, energy, excellence, or knowledge; as, the infinity of God and his perfections.
Absolute
Something regarded as the ultimate and transcendent basis of all thought and being. Used with the.
Infinity
Endless or indefinite number; great multitude; as an infinity of beauties.
Absolute
Something regarded as exceeding or transcending everything else to the point of being independent and unrelated.
Infinity
A quantity greater than any assignable quantity of the same kind.
Absolute
Unrestricted by laws, a constitution, or parliamentary or judicial or other checks; (legally) unlimited in power, especially if despotic.
Infinity
That part of a line, or of a plane, or of space, which is infinitely distant. In modern geometry, parallel lines or planes are sometimes treated as lines or planes meeting at infinity.
Absolute
Free from imperfection, perfect, complete; especially, perfectly embodying a quality in its essential characteristics or to its highest degree.
Absolute purity, absolute liberty
Infinity
Time without end
Absolute
Pure, free from mixture or adulteration; unmixed.
Absolute alcohol
Infinity
The state or quality of being infinite.
The universe's infinity is beyond human understanding.
Absolute
Complete, utter, outright; unmitigated, not qualified or diminished in any way.
When caught, he told an absolute lie.
An absolute denial of all charges
You're an absolute genius!
Absolute
Positive, certain; unquestionable; not in doubt.
Absolute
(archaic) Certain; free from doubt or uncertainty (e.g. a person, opinion or prediction).
Absolute
Fundamental, ultimate, intrinsic; not relative; independent of references or relations to other things or standards.
The doctrine that absolute knowledge of things is possible, an absolute principle
Absolute rights and duties are such as pertain to man in a state of nature as contradistinguished from relative rights and duties, or such as pertain to him in his social relations.
Absolute
(physics) Independent of arbitrary units of measurement, standards, or properties; not comparative or relative.
Absolute velocity, absolute motion, absolute position
Absolute
Having reference to or derived in the simplest manner from the fundamental units of mass, time, and length.
Absolute
Relating to the absolute temperature scale (based on absolute zero); kelvin.
Absolute
(grammar) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence; not in a syntactical relation with other parts of a text, or qualifying the text as a whole rather than any single word in it, like "it being over" in "it being over, she left".
Absolute
(of a case form) Syntactically connected to the rest of the sentence in an atypical manner, or not relating to or depending on it, like in the nominative absolute or genitive absolute, accusative absolute or ablative absolute.
Absolute
(of an adjective or possessive pronoun) Lacking a modified substantive, like "hungry" in "feed the hungry".
Absolute
Expressing a relative term without a definite comparison, like "older" in "an older person should be treated with respect".
Absolute
Positive; not graded (not comparative or superlative).
Absolute
(of a usually transitive verb) Having no direct object, like "kill" in "if looks could kill".
Absolute
(of Celtic languages) Being or pertaining to an inflected verb that is not preceded by any number of particles or compounded with a preverb.
Absolute
(math) As measured using an absolute value.
Absolute deviation
Absolute square
Mean absolute difference
Absolute
(math) Indicating an expression that is true for all real numbers, or of all values of the variable; unconditional.
Absolute
(education) Pertaining to a grading system based on the knowledge of the individual and not on the comparative knowledge of the group of students.
Absolute
Independent of (references to) other arts; expressing things (beauty, ideas, etc) only in one art.
Absolute music
Absolute
Indicating that a tenure or estate in land is not conditional or liable to terminate on (strictly) any occurrence or certain kinds of occurrence.
A freehold property is an estate in fee simple absolute in possession.
Absolute
(obsolete) Absolved; free.
Absolute
That which exists (or has a certain property, nature, size, etc) independent of references to other standards or external conditions; that which is universally valid; that which is not relative, conditional, qualified or mitigated.
Moral absolutes
Absolute
(geometry) In a plane, the two imaginary circular points at infinity; in space of three dimensions, the imaginary circle at infinity.
Absolute
A realm which exists without reference to anything else; that which can be imagined purely by itself; absolute ego.
Absolute
The whole of reality; the totality to which everything is reduced; the unity of spirit and nature; God.
Absolute
(chemistry) A concentrated natural flower oil, used for perfumes; an alcoholic extract of a concrete.
Absolute
Loosed from any limitation or condition; uncontrolled; unrestricted; unconditional; as, absolute authority, monarchy, sovereignty, an absolute promise or command; absolute power; an absolute monarch.
Absolute
Complete in itself; perfect; consummate; faultless; as, absolute perfection; absolute beauty.
So absolute she seems,And in herself complete.
Absolute
Viewed apart from modifying influences or without comparison with other objects; actual; real; - opposed to relative and comparative; as, absolute motion; absolute time or space.
Absolute
Loosed from, or unconnected by, dependence on any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing.
Absolute
Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned; non-relative.
To Cusa we can indeed articulately trace, word and thing, the recent philosophy of the absolute.
Absolute
Positive; clear; certain; not doubtful.
I am absolute 't was very Cloten.
Absolute
Authoritative; peremptory.
The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head,With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed.
Absolute
Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol.
Absolute
Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence in government; as, the case absolute. See Ablative absolute, under Ablative.
Absolute
In a plane, the two imaginary circular points at infinity; in space of three dimensions, the imaginary circle at infinity.
Absolute
Something that is conceived to be absolute; something that does not depends on anything else and is beyond human control;
No mortal being can influence the absolute
Absolute
Perfect or complete or pure;
Absolute loyalty
Absolute silence
Absolute truth
Absolute alcohol
Absolute
Complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers;
Absolute freedom
An absolute dimwit
A downright lie
Out-and-out mayhem
An out-and-out lie
A rank outsider
Many right-down vices
Got the job through sheer persistence
Sheer stupidity
Absolute
Not limited by law;
An absolute monarch
Absolute
Expressing finality with no implication of possible change;
An absolute (or unequivocal) quarantee to respect the nation's authority
Inability to make a conclusive (or unequivocal) refusal
Absolute
Without conditions or limitations;
A total ban
Absolute
Not capable of being violated or infringed;
Infrangible human rights
Absolute
Having unlimited power; unrestricted.
The monarch ruled with absolute authority.
Absolute
Perfect or pure; complete in itself.
The work was considered an absolute masterpiece.
FAQs
Can "Absolute" refer to authority?
Yes, it can refer to total, unquestioned authority.
Is "Absolute" only used in a scientific context?
No, it's also used in philosophy, law, and everyday speech for various meanings.
Does "Absolute" mean perfect?
In some contexts, it can mean complete or pure, which might imply perfection.
Does "Infinity" refer only to numbers?
No, it can also refer to unbounded space, time, or other immeasurable concepts.
Is "Absolute" always positive?
Not necessarily; it describes a total or unqualified state, not a value judgment.
Is "Infinity" a difficult concept in mathematics?
Yes, it's an advanced concept that represents an unattainable quantity.
Can we understand "Infinity" fully?
It's a concept that generally goes beyond complete human understanding.
Can something be "Absolutely" certain?
In expression, yes, but it's subject to philosophical debate.
Does "Infinity" have physical representation?
Not in reality, but it's often symbolized by the lemniscate (∞).
Is "Absolute power" dangerous?
It can be, as it implies unchecked authority.
Is "Infinity" a paradox?
In some philosophical and mathematical discussions, it can be.
Are there different types of "Infinity"?
Yes, in mathematics, there's the concept of different sizes or levels of infinity.
Does "Absolute" imply independence?
Often, as in not being relative to something else.
Can "Infinity" exist in the real world?
It's a concept more than a tangible thing, so it's represented abstractly.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
