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  1. Absolutism | Definition, History, & Examples | Britannica

    Dec 9, 2025 · Absolutism, the political doctrine and practice of unlimited centralized authority and absolute sovereignty, as vested especially in a monarch or dictator. The essence of an …

  2. Absolutism (European history) - Wikipedia

    Absolutism or the Age of Absolutism (c. 1610 – c. 1789) is a historiographical term used to describe a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by all other institutions, such as …

  3. ABSOLUTISM Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    The meaning of ABSOLUTISM is a political theory that absolute power should be vested in one or more rulers.

  4. Volume 2, Chapter 8: Absolutism – Western Civilization, A Concise ...

    Absolutism was in contrast to medieval and Renaissance-era forms of monarchy in which the king was merely first among equals, holding formal feudal authority over his elite nobles, but often …

  5. Absolutism - New World Encyclopedia

    In terms of politics, ‘absolutism’ refers to a type of government in which the ruler’s power is absolute, that is, not subject to any legal constraints.

  6. Absolutism - Oxford Reference

    Dec 20, 2025 · Many historians have seen the absolutist state as a midwife of capitalism, an interpretation illustrated by the preference of some for the term ‘enlightened despotism’ rather …

  7. What Is Absolutism? - ThoughtCo

    Mar 29, 2022 · Absolutism is a political system in which a single monarch, usually a king or queen, holds complete and unrestrained power over a country. The power of an absolutist …

  8. Absolutism | The Oxford Handbook of the History of ... - Oxford …

    May 26, 2011 · Absolutism is a nineteenth-century term designed precisely to address the mismatch between doctrine and power. The intellectual resources of absolutism were far older …

  9. Absolutism Definition - AP European History Key Term | Fiveable

    Absolutism played a crucial role in establishing centralized authority and administrative efficiency in early modern Europe. It laid the groundwork for modern nation-states by fostering strong …

  10. Chapter 8: Absolutism – Western Civilization - NSCC

    Absolutism was in contrast to medieval and Renaissance-era forms of monarchy in which the king was merely first among equals, holding formal feudal authority over his elite nobles, but often …