Absolute vs. Total: What's the Difference?
Copy edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on October 6, 2023
“Absolute” refers to something independent, unconditional, and not relative, while “Total” refers to the whole amount or sum of all parts combined. Absolute can denote quality; Total denotes quantity.
Key Differences
“Absolute” and “Total” are words that, while related to comprehensiveness, are used in distinct contexts and convey different meanings. “Absolute” typically refers to something that is unconditional, unrestricted, and not dependent on or relative to anything else. It is often used to describe concepts, principles, or values that are considered inherent and not subject to modification, limitation, or qualification. In contrast, “Total” is predominantly used to describe the aggregate, sum, or entirety of numerical values or quantifiable elements, emphasizing the whole amount or sum derived from adding individual parts or units.
The usage of “Absolute” is prevalent in discussions involving philosophy, mathematics, and moral values. For instance, in mathematics, an absolute value refers to the distance of a number from zero, irrespective of direction, representing a non-relative value. “Total,” however, is ubiquitous in contexts involving computations, accounting, and statistics, where it represents the cumulative amount or the summation of individual quantities, reflecting the overall quantifiable value or count.
Additionally, “Absolute” often implies a sense of perfection, completeness, and indisputability, expressing concepts or truths that are considered ultimate and unalterable. It can denote something that is inherent, intrinsic, and exists independently of external conditions or variations. On the other hand, “Total” strictly pertains to quantitative aggregation and does not imply intrinsic or inherent qualities. It merely reflects the cumulative result of adding individual numeric values, indicating the entire quantity or amount.
“Absolute” can also have implications of exclusivity and supremacy, suggesting something that is ultimate, supreme, or unparalleled. It can be used to convey the idea of something being free from any restrictions, conditions, or limitations, existing in a pure and unadulterated form. In contrast, “Total” lacks such connotations of supremacy or exclusivity and remains confined to expressing the complete numeric value or full extent of quantifiable elements without denoting superiority or purity.
While “Absolute” can express an inherent and unmodifiable quality or state, encompassing concepts like absolute truth or absolute zero, “Total” remains focused on conveying the entirety of numeric aggregation, such as total amount or total count. The use of “Absolute” tends to be more conceptual, qualitative, and inherent, while “Total” is more practical, quantitative, and aggregative.
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Comparison Chart
Nature
Unconditional, inherent.
Cumulative, aggregative.
Usage Context
Philosophy, moral values, mathematics.
Accounting, statistics, everyday language.
Representational Focus
Quality, concept, principle, state.
Quantity, amount, sum, extent.
Connotations
Perfection, completeness, exclusivity, supremacy.
Entirety, whole, full extent, complete.
Modifications & Limitations
Exists independently, not subject to modifications.
Subject to addition of parts, modifiable.
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Absolute and Total Definitions
Absolute
Not qualified or diminished; total.
The trust he placed in her was absolute.
Total
Complete in degree; absolute.
The statement was a total fabrication.
Absolute
Existing independently of any other cause or condition.
The laws of physics are absolute.
Total
Involving all aspects or elements.
He made a total commitment to the project.
Absolute
Having unrestricted power; autocratic.
The king ruled with absolute authority.
Total
An amount obtained by addition; a sum.
Absolute
Unqualified in extent or degree; total
Absolute silence.
Total
The whole amount of something; the entirety
The storm damaged the total of the housing units.
Absolute
Not limited by restrictions or exceptions
An absolute right.
Total
Of, relating to, or constituting the whole amount; entire
The total population of the city.
Absolute
Being fully such; utter
An absolute fool.
Total
Complete; utter; absolute
Total concentration.
A total effort.
A total fool.
Absolute
Unconstrained by constitutional or other provisions
An absolute ruler.
Total
To determine the total of; add up
They totaled the applications at 600.
Absolute
Not mixed; pure
Absolute oxygen.
Total
To equal a total of; amount to
The week's receipts totaled more than $90,000.
Absolute
Not to be doubted or questioned; positive
Absolute proof.
Total
To wreck completely; demolish
The driver survived the crash but totaled the car.
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.
Total
To add up; amount
It totals to $25.
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.
Total
An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts.
A total of £145 was raised by the bring-and-buy stall.
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.
Total
Sum.
The total of 4, 5 and 6 is 15.
Absolute
Relating to measurements or units of measurement derived from fundamental units of length, mass, and time.
Total
Entire; relating to the whole of something.
The total book is rubbish from start to finish.
The total number of votes cast is 3,270.
Absolute
Relating to absolute temperature.
Total
(used as an intensifier) Complete; absolute.
He is a total failure.
Absolute
(Law) Complete and unconditional; final
An absolute divorce.
Total
(mathematics) (of a function) Defined on all possible inputs.
The Ackermann function is one of the simplest and earliest examples of a total computable function that is not primitive recursive.
Absolute
Something that is absolute.
Total
(transitive) To add up; to calculate the sum of.
When we totalled the takings, we always got a different figure.
Absolute
Something regarded as the ultimate and transcendent basis of all thought and being. Used with the.
Total
To equal a total of; to amount to.
That totals seven times so far.
Absolute
Something regarded as exceeding or transcending everything else to the point of being independent and unrelated.
Total
To demolish; to wreck completely. (from total loss)
Honey, I’m OK, but I’ve totaled the car.
Absolute
Free of restrictions, limitations, qualifications or conditions; unconditional.
Total
(intransitive) To amount to; to add up to.
It totals nearly a pound.
Absolute
Unrestricted by laws, a constitution, or parliamentary or judicial or other checks; (legally) unlimited in power, especially if despotic.
Total
Whole; not divided; entire; full; complete; absolute; as, a total departure from the evidence; a total loss.
Absolute
Free from imperfection, perfect, complete; especially, perfectly embodying a quality in its essential characteristics or to its highest degree.
Absolute purity, absolute liberty
Total
The whole; the whole sum or amount; as, these sums added make the grand total of five millions.
Absolute
Pure, free from mixture or adulteration; unmixed.
Absolute alcohol
Total
To bring to a total; also, to reach as a total; to amount to.
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!
Total
To determine the total of (a set of numbers); to add; - often used with up; as, to total up the bill.
Absolute
Positive, certain; unquestionable; not in doubt.
Total
To damage beyond repair; - used especially of vehicles damaged in an accident; as, he skid on an ice patch and totaled his Mercedes against a tree. From total loss.
Absolute
(archaic) Certain; free from doubt or uncertainty (e.g. a person, opinion or prediction).
Total
The whole amount
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.
Total
A quantity obtained by addition
Absolute
(physics) Independent of arbitrary units of measurement, standards, or properties; not comparative or relative.
Absolute velocity, absolute motion, absolute position
Total
Add up in number or quantity;
The bills amounted to $2,000
The bill came to $2,000
Absolute
Having reference to or derived in the simplest manner from the fundamental units of mass, time, and length.
Total
Determine the sum of;
Add all the people in this town to those of the neighboring town
Absolute
Relating to the absolute temperature scale (based on absolute zero); kelvin.
Total
Constituting the full quantity or extent; complete;
An entire town devastated by an earthquake
Gave full attention
A total failure
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".
Total
Including everything;
The overall cost
The total amount owed
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.
Total
Without conditions or limitations;
A total ban
Absolute
(of an adjective or possessive pronoun) Lacking a modified substantive, like "hungry" in "feed the hungry".
Total
Complete in extent or degree and in every particular;
A full game
A total eclipse
A total disaster
Absolute
Expressing a relative term without a definite comparison, like "older" in "an older person should be treated with respect".
Total
Constituting the whole amount or extent.
The total amount was shocking.
Absolute
Positive; not graded (not comparative or superlative).
Total
A final amount after addition.
The total for the bill was $50.
Absolute
(of a usually transitive verb) Having no direct object, like "kill" in "if looks could kill".
Total
Amounting to a large, inclusive sum.
The total damage was extensive.
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
Perfect, complete, pure.
Her happiness in that moment was absolute.
Absolute
Not relative or comparative; fundamental.
Absolute principles guide his decisions.
FAQs
Are Absolute and Total synonymous?
No, Absolute denotes something inherent and unconditional, while Total refers to the whole amount or sum.
Can Absolute be used in mathematical terms?
Yes, as in absolute value, representing the distance of a number from zero on the number line.
Is Total strictly related to numerical values?
Predominantly yes, it mainly denotes the sum or entirety of numeric values or quantifiable elements.
Can Absolute imply perfection?
Yes, it can denote something complete, perfect, and unadulterated.
Is Total modifiable?
Yes, Total is subject to addition or aggregation of parts and can be modified.
Can Total represent completeness?
Yes, it can represent completeness in extent or degree.
Is Total related to entirety?
Yes, it refers to the entire quantity, amount, or extent of something.
Can Absolute denote unlimited power?
Yes, it can refer to unrestricted, unlimited power or authority.
Can Absolute exist independently?
Yes, Absolute can exist independently and is not subject to external conditions or modifications.
Is Absolute relative?
No, Absolute is not relative; it is inherent and unconditional.
Can Absolute represent fundamental principles?
Yes, it can represent fundamental, unalterable principles or truths.
Does Total always involve numbers?
Mostly, but it can also represent the full extent or whole of non-numeric entities.
Is Total used in everyday language?
Yes, Total is commonly used to denote the whole amount or sum in everyday language.
Can Total imply a final sum?
Yes, Total often implies a final amount or sum after addition or aggregation.
Can Absolute be fundamental?
Yes, it can represent something fundamental and foundational.
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.
Copy edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
