diff --git a/doc/specs/stdlib_system.md b/doc/specs/stdlib_system.md
index 95a7f8e41..b86f05997 100644
--- a/doc/specs/stdlib_system.md
+++ b/doc/specs/stdlib_system.md
@@ -978,3 +978,79 @@ A character string or `type(string_type)`.
 ```fortran
 {!example/system/example_path_dir_name.f90!}
 ```
+
+---
+
+## `is_abs` - Checks if the path is absolute
+
+### Status
+
+Experimental
+
+### Description
+
+This function checks if the path is absolute (i.e not relative).
+- On POSIX systems this means the path starts with `/`.
+- On Windows systems this means the path is either an UNC path (like `\\host\path\share`) or
+a path starting with a drive letter (like `C:\Users\`)
+
+### Syntax
+
+`res = ` [[stdlib_system(module):is_abs(interface)]]`(p)`
+
+### Class
+
+Function
+
+### Arguments
+
+`p`: the path, a character string or `type(string_type)`. It is an `intent(in)` argument.
+
+
+### Return values
+
+A `logical` indicating if the the path is absolute.
+
+### Example
+
+```fortran
+{!example/system/example_path_abs.f90!}
+```
+
+---
+
+## `abs_path` - Returns the absolute path
+
+### Status
+
+Experimental
+
+### Description
+
+This function returns the absolutized version of the provided path.
+
+### Syntax
+
+`res = ` [[stdlib_system(module):abs_path(interface)]]`(p [, err])`
+
+### Class
+
+Function
+
+### Arguments
+
+`p`: the path, a character string or `type(string_type)`. It is an `intent(in)` argument.
+
+`err`(optional): Shall be of type `state_type`, and is used for error handling. It is an `optional, intent(out)` argument.
+
+### Return values
+
+`res`: the absolutized version of the path, It is of type `character(:), allocatable`.
+
+`err`: It is an optional state return flag. On error if not requested, an `FS_ERROR` will trigger an error stop.
+
+### Example
+
+```fortran
+{!example/system/example_path_abs.f90!}
+```
diff --git a/example/system/CMakeLists.txt b/example/system/CMakeLists.txt
index 3ede9e3cf..56114691b 100644
--- a/example/system/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/example/system/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ ADD_EXAMPLE(path_join)
 ADD_EXAMPLE(path_split_path)
 ADD_EXAMPLE(path_base_name)
 ADD_EXAMPLE(path_dir_name)
+ADD_EXAMPLE(path_abs)
 ADD_EXAMPLE(make_directory)
 ADD_EXAMPLE(remove_directory)
 ADD_EXAMPLE(cwd)
diff --git a/example/system/example_path_abs.f90 b/example/system/example_path_abs.f90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..77ef80cb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/system/example_path_abs.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+! Illustrate the usage of `abs_path`, `is_abs`
+program example_path_abs
+    use stdlib_system, only: abs_path, is_abs
+    use stdlib_error, only: state_type
+    implicit none
+
+    character(*), parameter :: path = "path/to/check"
+    character(:), allocatable :: absolute_path
+    type(state_type) :: err
+
+    if (is_abs(path)) then
+        print *, "Path is absolute!"
+        ! terminate the program since path is already absolute
+        stop
+    else
+        print *, "Path is not absolute!"
+    end if
+
+    ! get the absolute path
+    absolute_path = abs_path(path, err)
+
+    if (err%error()) then
+        ! there was an error! print it
+        print *, "error converting to absolute path: " // err%print()
+    else
+        print *, "absolute path => " // absolute_path
+    end if
+end program example_path_abs
+
diff --git a/src/stdlib_system.F90 b/src/stdlib_system.F90
index 90e61e05b..5659a983f 100644
--- a/src/stdlib_system.F90
+++ b/src/stdlib_system.F90
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ module stdlib_system
 public :: split_path
 public :: base_name
 public :: dir_name
+public :: is_abs
+public :: abs_path
 
 !! version: experimental
 !!
@@ -781,6 +783,46 @@ module function dir_name_string(p) result(dir)
     end function dir_name_string
 end interface dir_name
 
+interface is_abs
+    !! version: experimental
+    !!
+    !!### Summary
+    !! This function checks if the path is absolute.
+    !! ([Specification](../page/specs/stdlib_system.html#is_abs))
+    !!
+    !!### Description
+    !! This function checks if the path is absolute (i.e not relative).
+    !! - On POSIX systems this means the path starts with `/`.
+    !! - On Windows systems this means the path is either an UNC path (like `\\host\path\share`) or
+    !! a path starting with a drive letter (like `C:\Users\`)
+    module logical function is_abs_char(p)
+        character(len=*), intent(in) :: p
+    end function is_abs_char
+
+    module logical function is_abs_string(p)
+        type(string_type), intent(in) :: p
+    end function is_abs_string
+end interface is_abs
+
+interface abs_path
+    !! version: experimental
+    !!
+    !!### Summary
+    !! This function returns the absolutized version of the provided path.
+    !! ([Specification](../page/specs/stdlib_system.html#abs_path))
+    !!
+    module function abs_path_char(p, err) result(abs_p)
+        character(len=*), intent(in) :: p
+        type(state_type), optional, intent(out) :: err
+        character(len=:), allocatable :: abs_p
+    end function abs_path_char
+
+    module function abs_path_string(p, err) result(abs_p)
+        type(string_type), intent(in) :: p
+        type(state_type), optional, intent(out) :: err
+        type(string_type) :: abs_p
+    end function abs_path_string
+end interface abs_path
 
 contains
 
diff --git a/src/stdlib_system_path.f90 b/src/stdlib_system_path.f90
index 5ec7ef8c8..bbe9ebb0f 100644
--- a/src/stdlib_system_path.f90
+++ b/src/stdlib_system_path.f90
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 submodule(stdlib_system) stdlib_system_path
     use stdlib_ascii, only: reverse
-    use stdlib_strings, only: chomp, join
+    use stdlib_strings, only: chomp, join, starts_with
     use stdlib_string_type, only: string_type, char, move
 contains
     module function join2_char_char(p1, p2) result(path)
@@ -167,4 +167,58 @@ module function dir_name_string(p) result(dir)
 
         call split_path(p, dir, temp)
     end function dir_name_string
+
+    module logical function is_abs_char(p)
+        character(len=*), intent(in) :: p
+        character(len=1) :: sep
+
+        sep = path_sep()
+
+        if (sep == '/') then
+            ! should start with '/'
+            is_abs_char = starts_with(p, sep)
+        else
+            ! should be either an UNC path like '\\server\host...'
+            ! or should be starting with a drive letter like 'C:\Users\...'
+            is_abs_char = starts_with(p(2:), ':\') .or. starts_with(p, '\\')
+        end if
+    end function is_abs_char
+
+    module logical function is_abs_string(p)
+        type(string_type), intent(in) :: p
+
+        is_abs_string = is_abs(char(p))
+    end function is_abs_string
+
+    module function abs_path_char(p, err) result(abs_p)
+        character(len=*), intent(in) :: p
+        type(state_type), optional, intent(out) :: err
+        character(len=:), allocatable :: abs_p
+
+        type(state_type) :: err0
+        character(:), allocatable :: cwd
+
+        ! get the current working directory
+        call get_cwd(cwd, err0)
+
+        if (err0%error()) then
+            abs_p = ''
+            call err0%handle(err)
+        end if
+
+        ! join the cwd and path
+        abs_p = cwd / p
+    end function abs_path_char
+
+    module function abs_path_string(p, err) result(abs_p)
+        type(string_type), intent(in) :: p
+        type(state_type), optional, intent(out) :: err
+        type(string_type) :: abs_p
+
+        character(len=:), allocatable :: res
+
+        res = abs_path(char(p), err)
+
+        call move(res, abs_p)
+    end function abs_path_string
 end submodule stdlib_system_path
diff --git a/test/system/test_path.f90 b/test/system/test_path.f90
index 8d892b928..f74511948 100644
--- a/test/system/test_path.f90
+++ b/test/system/test_path.f90
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 module test_path
     use testdrive, only : new_unittest, unittest_type, error_type, check, skip_test
-    use stdlib_system, only: join_path, operator(/), split_path, OS_TYPE, OS_WINDOWS
+    use stdlib_system, only: join_path, operator(/), split_path, OS_TYPE, OS_WINDOWS, &
+        is_abs, abs_path, get_cwd
+    use stdlib_error, only: state_type
     implicit none
 contains
     !> Collect all exported unit tests
@@ -11,7 +13,9 @@ subroutine collect_suite(testsuite)
         testsuite = [ &
             new_unittest('test_join_path', test_join_path), &
             new_unittest('test_join_path_operator', test_join_path_op), &
-            new_unittest('test_split_path', test_split_path) &
+            new_unittest('test_split_path', test_split_path), &
+            new_unittest('test_is_abs', test_is_abs), &
+            new_unittest('test_abs_path', test_abs_path) &
         ]
     end subroutine collect_suite
 
@@ -118,6 +122,101 @@ subroutine test_split_path(error)
         end if
     end subroutine test_split_path
 
+    subroutine test_is_abs(error)
+        type(error_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: error
+        character(:), allocatable :: p
+        logical :: res
+
+        character(*), parameter :: msg = "is_abs: "
+
+        if (OS_TYPE() == OS_WINDOWS) then
+            p = '.'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, .not. res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            p = '..'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, .not. res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            p = 'C:\Windows'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            ! a relative path pointing to the `Windows` folder
+            ! in the current working directory in the drive C
+            p = 'C:Windows'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, .not. res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            ! UNC paths
+            p = '\\server_name\share_name\path'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+        else
+            p = '.'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, .not. res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            p = '..'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, .not. res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            p = '/'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            p = '/home/Alice'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+
+            p = './home/Alice'
+            res = is_abs(p)
+            call check(error, .not. res, msg // p // " returns incorrect result")
+            if (allocated(error)) return
+        end if
+    end subroutine test_is_abs
+
+    subroutine test_abs_path(error)
+        type(error_type), allocatable, intent(out) :: error
+        character(:), allocatable :: rel_path, absolute_path, cwd, absolute_path0
+        type(state_type) :: err
+
+        if (OS_TYPE() == OS_WINDOWS) then
+            rel_path = ".\Folder\File"
+        else
+            rel_path = "./Folder/File"
+        end if
+
+        absolute_path = abs_path(rel_path, err)
+
+        call check(error, err%ok(), "Could not get absolute path: " // err%print())
+        if (allocated(error)) return
+
+        call check(error, is_abs(absolute_path), "absolute path created is not absolute")
+        if (allocated(error)) return
+
+        call get_cwd(cwd, err)
+
+        ! ideally shouldn't error out but just in case it does
+        call check(error, err%ok(), "Could not get CWD: " // err%print())
+        if (allocated(error)) return
+
+        absolute_path0 = cwd / rel_path
+
+        call check(error, absolute_path == absolute_path0, "absolute path != (CWD / relative path)" &
+        // "absolute_path: " // absolute_path // " and (CWD / relative path): " // absolute_path0)
+        if (allocated(error)) return
+    end subroutine test_abs_path
+
 end module test_path
 
 program tester