absolutism vs ascendancy

absolutism and ascendancy both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
absolutism	Yes	No	No	No
ascendancy	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, ascendancy is a hypernym of absolutism; that is, ascendancy is a word with a broader meaning than absolutism:

absolutism: dominance through threat of punishment and violence
ascendancy: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another

Other hypernyms of absolutism include ascendance, ascendence, ascendency, control, dominance.

absolutism (noun)	ascendancy (noun)
the doctrine of an absolute being, often related to idealism in philosophy.	the state that exists when one person or group has power over another
an ideological belief in the complete and unrestricted power of government.
a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
dominance through threat of punishment and violence