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
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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Matter and Energy 2: Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions, and Energy
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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.
Soluble fiber can also help regulate blood sugar by slowing digestion and reducing sudden spikes in glucose levels.
From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026
Soluble fiber combines well with water, which is good for digestive health and can slow the rise of blood glucose.
From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024
Earlier this month, Lacework agreed to buy Soluble, a cloud infrastructure management startup, to increase the automation capacity of its platform.
From Reuters • Nov. 18, 2021
Soluble metal hydroxides can be produced by the reaction of the metal or metal oxide with water.
From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019
Soluble medicines should be completely dissolved before they are given; insoluble ones should be finely divided by powdering or by shaking, and should be well agitated and mixed immediately before they are given.
From Special Report on Diseases of Cattle by United States. Bureau of Animal Industry
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.
