Help with understanding 'in absolute terms'.

[cappy]

While reading a book called A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America by Bruce Gibney, I find a term called 'in absolute terms'. This sentence I find,"Though economic conditions of the Seventies may have been the worst since the Great Depression, they were not so bad in absolute terms: living standards continued to rise and performance was better, overall, than it would be in subsequent recessions".

I search Longman's Dictionary. It gives 'measured by itself, not in comparison with other things'

Example: In absolute terms wages have risen, but not in comparison with the cost of living."

I still no understand. Does it mean 'absolutely'?

 

[emsr2d2]

While reading a book called A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America by Bruce Gibney, I find a term found the phrase called 'in absolute terms'. This is the full sentence I find found: "Though economic conditions of the Seventies may have been the worst since the Great Depression, they were not so bad in absolute terms: living standards continued to rise and performance was better, overall, than it would be in subsequent recessions".

I searched Longman's Dictionary. It gives 'measured by itself, not in comparison with other things'.

Example: In absolute terms wages have risen, but not in comparison with the cost of living."

I still no don't/do not understand. Does it mean 'absolutely'?

Please note my corrections above. I think you need to study the past simple tense. Put book titles in italics. There is no need to put them in bold.

No, it doesn't mean "absolutely".

 

[Tarheel]

It seems rather circular if you ask me. Economic conditions were the worst since the Great Depression, but they were really not so bad. Compared to what? The Great Depression. The phrase "in absolute terms" seems to suggest we're not comparing it to anything else, but we always do that. That writer does it. (That's not my favorite expression.)