resolution

[rez-uh-loo-shuhn]

noun

1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group.

2. the act of resolving or determining upon an action, course of action, method, procedure, etc.

3. a resolve; a decision or determination.

   to make a firm resolution to do something.

   Her resolution to clear her parents' name allowed her no other focus in life.

4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

   She showed her resolution by not attending the meeting.

   Synonyms: fortitude, strength, tenacity, perseverance, determination, resolve

5. the act or process of resolving or separating something into constituent or elementary parts.

6. the resulting state.

7. Optics.,  the act, process, or capability of distinguishing between two separate but adjacent objects or sources of light or between two nearly equal wavelengths.

8. a solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem, controversy, etc.

9. Music.

   1. the progression of a voice part or of the harmony as a whole from a dissonance to a consonance.

   2. the tone or chord to which a dissonance is resolved.

10. reduction to a simpler form; conversion.

11. Medicine/Medical.,  the reduction or disappearance of a swelling or inflammation without suppuration.

12. the degree of sharpness of a computer-generated image as measured by the number of dots per linear inch in a hard-copy printout or the number of pixels across and down on a display screen.

resolution

/ ˌrɛzəˈluːʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of resolving

2. the condition or quality of being resolute; firmness or determination

3. something resolved or determined; decision

4. a formal expression of opinion by a meeting, esp one agreed by a vote

5. a judicial decision on some matter; verdict; judgment

6. the act or process of separating something into its constituent parts or elements

7. med

   1. return from a pathological to a normal condition

   2. subsidence of the symptoms of a disease, esp the disappearance of inflammation without the formation of pus

8. music the process in harmony whereby a dissonant note or chord is followed by a consonant one

9. the ability of a television or film image to reproduce fine detail

10. physics another word for resolving power

Other Word Forms

• resolutioner noun
• nonresolution noun
• preresolution noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of resolution¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin resolūtiōn-, stem of resolūtiō “looseness, a release” equivalent to resolute + -ion

Example Sentences

The announcements did not cover some thorny issues both sides have not reached a resolution on.

Read more on BBC

Roman will have the resolution, sensitivity and infrared wavelength coverage to see these stars and potentially witness their variability as they expel out large quantities of dust near the end of their lives.

Read more on Science Daily

The bad news is you have reverted to whatever method of conflict resolution you learned growing up, but the good news is these problems, while aggravating and infuriating, are not uncommon.

Read more on MarketWatch

And now the standoff over pricing is nearing resolution.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

However, the Geneva-based dispute resolution body expects exports and imports of goods to grow at a slower pace in 2026 as the tariff rises implemented by the U.S. and in retaliating countries take full effect.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conclusion 
• decision 
• finding 
• motion 
• outcome 
• proposal 
• proposition 
• recommendation 
• settlement 
• solution 
• verdict