solution

American  

[suh-loo-shuhn] / səˈlu ʃən /

noun

• solutions
  plural

1. the act of solving a problem, question, etc..

   The situation is approaching solution.

2. the state of being solved.

   a problem capable of solution.

3. a particular instance or method of solving; an explanation or answer.

   The solution is as good as any other.

   Synonyms:

   resolution, key

4. Mathematics.

   1. the process of determining the answer to a problem.

   2. the answer itself.

5. Chemistry.

   1. the process by which a gas, liquid, or solid is dispersed homogeneously in a gas, liquid, or solid without chemical change.

   2. such a substance, as dissolved sugar or salt in solution.

   3. a homogeneous, molecular mixture of two or more substances.

6. Also called liquor.  Pharmacology. a liquid, usually water, in which a medication is dissolved.

7. Medicine/Medical.

   1. the termination of a disease.

   2. a breach or break in anything, especially one in parts of the body normally continuous, as from fracture or laceration.

      solution of continuity.

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solution British  

/ səˈluːʃən /

noun

1. a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances in which the molecules or atoms of the substances are completely dispersed. The constituents can be solids, liquids, or gases

2. the act or process of forming a solution

3. the state of being dissolved (esp in the phrase in solution )

4. a mixture of two or more substances in which one or more components are present as small particles with colloidal dimension; colloid

   a colloidal solution

5. a specific answer to or way of answering a problem

6. the act or process of solving a problem

7. maths

   1. the unique set of values that yield a true statement when substituted for the variables in an equation

   2. a member of a set of assignments of values to variables under which a given statement is satisfied; a member of a solution set

8. the stage of a disease, following a crisis, resulting in its termination

9. law the payment, discharge, or satisfaction of a claim, debt, etc

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solution Scientific  

/ sə-lo̅o̅′shən /

1. Chemistry A mixture in which particles of one or more substances (the solute) are distributed uniformly throughout another substance (the solvent), so that the mixture is homogeneous at the molecular or ionic level. The particles in a solution are smaller than those in either a colloid or a suspension.

2. Chemistry Compare colloid suspension

3. Mathematics A value or values which, when substituted for a variable in an equation, make the equation true. For example, the solutions to the equation x ² = 4 are 2 and −2.

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solution Cultural  

1. In chemistry, a uniform mixture of one solid, liquid, or gas with another solid, liquid, or gas.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsolution
  noun
• presolution
  noun
• solutional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• solutions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of solution

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin solūtiōn-, stem of solūtiō, equivalent to solūt(us) ( see solute) + -iō -ion

Explanation

A solution is all about solving or dissolving. If you find an answer to a question, both the answer and how you got there is the solution. If you dissolve a solid into a liquid, you've created a different kind of solution. This noun descends from Middle English solucion, from Old French, from Latin solutio, from solvere "to loosen." Think of solution both as a loosening of the chemical bonds that make something solid––when you loosen the structure of salt by mixing it into water, you create a solution. When you loosen the "knot" of a math problem you do the same thing––you loosen, untangle or solve it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

solution solutions

It didn’t find a solution, but it did make a related finding that one Stanford number theorist called “the most impressive result that AI has produced in math so far.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

And Manley says recycling books is a good solution for many titles which the public no longer want on their shelves - especially when it comes with a bump in trade.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

This sounds like a dramatic solution, and one that should be treated with caution.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Dredging is not a permanent solution, critics argue, because rivers constantly fill the channels with new sediment.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

It was the South Carolina solution achieved in the Virginia style.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Origin could also offer full scale energy and infrastructure solutions to data centers and hyperscalers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

My own visits to provincial cities and towns in recent years have underscored how some local Taliban officials try to find pragmatic solutions.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Nicholas Bednar and Max Sarinsky, came up with a few solutions that Congress could legislate without violating Slaughter, and I do think it’s worth lifting those up.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

The company’s switches, routers and other networking solutions have become critical inputs in data-center server racks.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Not long after that, algebraists learned to accept negative numbers as valid solutions to equations.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• explanation
• quick fix
• result