Absolutement, je le sais bien

Absolute, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (version 2.0, CD Rom) was a past participle derived from the Old French absolut. It eventually was to come to its present use as an adjective (or with suffixes, an adverb) through the "latinizing" of asolu, "loosened, free, separate, acquitted, completed, etc." This makes sense when you consider the the adverb I used in this title, absolutement, which is still used in Modern French. Also of interest is that it used to have comparative forms, absoluter and absolutest.

The most accepted meaning is likely : II. Absolute in quality or degree; perfect. or III. Absolute or detached in position or relation; independent; there are also the metaphysical definitions, such as "Considered independently of its being subjective or objective" or "Existing without relation to any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing."

Absolute has a few now-obsolete meanings. Presently there are sixteen definitions listed and researched in the OED, my favorites of which (and a sampling of their accompanying quotes) are listed here below:

7. Of ownership, authority: Free from all external restraint or interference; unrestricted, unlimited, independent. absolute prize, one which becomes the absolute property of the winner, as distinguished from a challenge cup, etc. held till competed for anew.

1861 Times, 10 July, Lord Spencer offered an absolute prize cup worth 20l., to be competed for at 500 yards by the best shot of each of the three schools.

8. Hence, having absolute power, governing absolutely; unlimited by a constitution or the concurrent authority of a parliament; arbitrary, despotic.

1735–8 Bolingbroke Dissn. on Parties 160 Absolute Monarchy is Tyranny; but absolute Democracy is Tyranny and Anarchy both.

11.Of persons and things: Free from all doubt or uncertainty; positive, perfectly certain, decided. Sometimes adv. positively. Obs.

1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iii. i. 5 Be absolute for death.

Let's try a few of them in a sentence and see what happens:

O, were I but absolute (definition 11) about the nature of our democracy, be it absolute (definition 8) or not, I should be the winner in some absolute (definition 7) election wherein I become the sole owner of my own opinion, absolutely. (e.g. unfettered, Obs. definition)
2005 Confess. Rand. Sesquip.

[to which R. Vaughn might reply, "Shake off that dream of personality, and you will see that good and evil are identical in the Absolute. "] (definition 15)