soluble
Americanadjective
-
capable of being dissolved or liquefied.
a soluble powder.
-
capable of being solved or explained.
a soluble problem.
noun
adjective
-
(of a substance) capable of being dissolved, esp easily dissolved in some solvent, usually water
-
capable of being solved or answered
Other Word Forms
- intersoluble adjective
- nonsoluble adjective
- nonsolubleness noun
- nonsolubly adverb
- solubleness noun
- solubly adverb
- unsoluble adjective
- unsolubleness noun
- unsolubly adverb
Etymology
Origin of soluble
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin solūbilis, equivalent to Latin solū-, variant stem of solvere to loosen, dissolve + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Sugar is soluble. It dissolves easily in water. You can also use the word to describe a problem that can be solved easily. How are the two definitions of soluble related? When you dissolve something in a liquid, the combination is known as a solvent or a solution. All of these "sol-" words descend from the Latin word that means loosen or unfasten. When you dissolve something in water, you loosen the molecules. And if you think of a problem like a knot, to solve it is to loosen it up.
Vocabulary lists containing soluble
Matter and Energy
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Nutrition - Middle School
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Nutrition - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For example, if your daily goal is 30 grams of fiber, about 20 grams should come from insoluble fiber and 10 grams from soluble fiber.
From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026
“I like to think of soluble fiber as a sponge,” Harbstreet says.
From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026
In a major step toward improving cancer treatment, researchers at Northwestern University have redesigned the molecular structure of a widely used chemotherapy drug, making it far more soluble, potent, and less toxic to the body.
From Science Daily • Nov. 5, 2025
Sodium cyanide is also highly soluble in water and it can react vigorously to produce the gas hydrogen cyanide - which is also toxic.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2025
This is because these chemicals are soluble in fat.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
