A person who believes in absolute principles or complete authority; often used to describe a ruler with total power or someone with extreme, unbending beliefs.
From absolute (Latin absolutus 'complete, unconditional') plus -ist (one who practices or believes). The term gained prominence in political philosophy in the 17th-18th centuries.
King Louis XIV of France was history's most famous absolutist—he literally said 'L'état, c'est moi' (I am the state). His belief in absolute power directly inspired European revolutions against such rulers!
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