This is in the spirit of the What is a Word™/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it an Absolute Word™.
Use the examples below to find the rule.
| Absolute Words™ | Not Absolute Words™ |
|---|---|
| WET | DRY |
| MUNICIPALITY | DISTRICT |
| ADVERTORIAL | COMMERCIAL |
| HAND | FOOT |
| NAUGHT | ZERO |
| TRAINSPOTTING | ECSTASY |
| CINEMATOGRAPHER | PHOTOGRAPHER |
| GRASSHOPPER | CRICKET |
| VOLLEYBALL | BADMINTON |
| ITALIC | BOLD |
| UNICORN | DRAGON |
| EXCEPTION | RULE |
| PERSPECTIVE | VIEW |
| JOURNALIST | CORRESPONDENT |
| ACHE | PAIN |
| MATCH | CONTEST |
| OUTGOING | EXTROVERT |
| CATHEDRAL | CHURCH |
In case you want it in CSV:
Absolute Words™,Not Absolute Words™
WET,DRY
MUNICIPALITY,DISTRICT
ADVERTORIAL,COMMERCIAL
HAND,FOOT
NAUGHT,ZERO
TRAINSPOTTING,ECSTASY
CINEMATOGRAPHER,PHOTOGRAPHER
GRASSHOPPER,CRICKET
VOLLEYBALL,BADMINTON
ITALIC,BOLD
UNICORN,DRAGON
EXCEPTION,RULE
PERSPECTIVE,VIEW
JOURNALIST,CORRESPONDENT
ACHE,PAIN
MATCH,CONTEST
OUTGOING,EXTROVERT
CATHEDRAL,CHURCH
The puzzle relies on the series' inbuilt assumption, that each word can be tested for whether it is a Absolute Word™ without relying on the other words.
These are not the only examples of Absolute Words™, many more exist.
Hint:
Ordering the words in an obvious way (both alphabetical and by word length could prove helpful) might help you spot the rule.
Hint 2:
Think of "absolute" in a mathematical way.
