resolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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resolves,
present (3rd person singular)
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resolved,
past participle, past
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resolving
present participle
-
to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine (to do something).
I have resolved that I shall live to the full.
- Synonyms:
- confirm
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to separate into constituent or elementary parts; break up; cause or disintegrate (usually followed byinto ).
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to reduce or convert by, or as by, breaking up or disintegration (usually followed by to orinto ).
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to convert or transform by any process (often used reflexively).
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to reduce by mental analysis (often followed byinto ).
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to settle, determine, or state in a formal vote or formal expression of opinion or intention, as of a deliberative assembly.
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to deal with (a question, a matter of uncertainty, etc.) conclusively; settle; solve.
to resolve the question before the board.
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to clear away or dispel (doubts, fears, etc.); answer.
to resolve any doubts we may have had.
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Chemistry. to separate (a racemic mixture) into optically active components.
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Music. to cause (a voice part or the harmony as a whole) to progress from a dissonance to a consonance.
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Optics. to separate and make visible the individual parts of (an image); distinguish between.
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Medicine/Medical. to cause (swellings, inflammation, etc.) to disappear without suppuration.
verb (used without object)
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resolves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resolved,
past participle, past
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resolving
present participle
-
to come to a determination; make up one's mind; determine (often followed by on orupon ).
to resolve on a plan of action.
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to break up or disintegrate.
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to be reduced or changed by breaking up or otherwise (usually followed by to orinto ).
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Music. to progress from a dissonance to a consonance.
noun
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resolves
plural
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a resolution or determination made, as to follow some course of action.
- Synonyms:
- decision
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firmness of purpose or intent; determination.
verb
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(takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to decide or determine firmly
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to express (an opinion) formally, esp (of a public meeting) one agreed by a vote
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to separate or cause to separate (into) (constituent parts or elements)
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(usually reflexive) to change, alter, or appear to change or alter
the ghost resolved itself into a tree
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to make up the mind of; cause to decide
the tempest resolved him to stay at home
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to find the answer or solution to; solve
to resolve a problem
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to explain away or dispel
to resolve a doubt
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to bring to an end; conclude
to resolve an argument
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med to cause (a swelling or inflammation) to subside, esp without the formation of pus
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(also intr) to follow (a dissonant note or chord) or (of a dissonant note or chord) to be followed by one producing a consonance
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chem to separate (a racemic mixture) into its optically active constituents
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physics
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to distinguish between (separate parts) of (an image) as in a microscope, telescope, or other optical instrument
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to separate (two adjacent peaks) in a spectrum by means of a spectrometer
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maths to split (a vector) into its components in specified directions
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an obsolete word for dissolve
noun
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something determined or decided; resolution
he had made a resolve to work all day
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firmness of purpose; determination
nothing can break his resolve
Usage
What are other ways to say resolve?
To resolve something is to come to a definite or earnest decision about it. How is it different from decide and determine? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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resolvesimple
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resolvessimple
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have resolvedperfect
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has resolvedperfect
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am resolvingprogressive
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are resolvingprogressive
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is resolvingprogressive
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have been resolvingperfect progressive
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has been resolvingperfect progressive
Past
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resolvedsimple
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had resolvedperfect
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was resolvingprogressive
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were resolvingprogressive
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had been resolvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resolve
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb resolven “to alter, loosen, temper,” from Latin resolvere “to unfasten, loosen, release,” equivalent to re- re- + solvere solve
Explanation
To resolve is to settle or make a decision about something — often formal. A college's board of directors might resolve to recruit more minority students. As a noun, resolve refers to a strong determination to do something. If you make a New Year's resolution to exercise every day, you'll need plenty of resolve to stick with your program. The verb descends from Middle English resolven "to dissolve," from Latin resolvere "to untie." In English, the obsolete sense of "to dissolve" can be seen in this line from Shakespeare: "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew."
Vocabulary lists containing resolve
Words for a New Year
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List 7
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19th Amendment (1920)
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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.
See Examples For:
It burrows deep into the legal past in search of an artifact that will indisputably resolve a difficult issue—even though 21st-century English speakers can read our Constitution without difficulty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
She argues that city deputies typically resolve cases for a fraction of the cost of hired guns, and her leading role in California’s globally watched Meta suit may help burnish those claims.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
"We are creating the time to resolve this and that is in the interests of everyone."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
"In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others."
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
I resolve to seek out normalcy, and decide to hang out with another friend, Sofia Rodriguez, who wasn’t answering texts last night.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Gundlach Bundschu plans to remain open while it resolves its debt and ownership issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
The new confirmation also resolves a question astronomers have been debating for about 10 years.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
The document release resolves a lawsuit brought by advocacy group 9/11 Health Watch, which sued the city for the documents.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The deal resolves governance disputes stemming from the 2019 creation of the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture, which the two mining majors established after Barrick dropped an $18 billion hostile takeover bid for Newmont.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Or they may simply feel "unstable"; if you hear a chord with a dissonance in it, you may feel that the music is pulling you towards the chord that resolves the dissonance.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
The unmoored truth is never resolved here, leaving us with the lesson that the only thing certain is uncertainty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Ever the humanist, fascinated by ordinary people taking on otherwise herculean tasks to the point of obsession, Herzog resolved decades ago to make a film inspired by the sisters.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
The impact of tariffs should fade and energy prices should fall as soon as the Iran conflict is resolved, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
It's also taking place in the wake of a bitter US-China trade war that has only been resolved by a temporary truce, extended on this trip.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
“That settles it. When we return to Ashton Place, I must learn to ride at the earliest opportunity,” she resolved.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife once employed 13 specialists dedicated to resolving human-wildlife conflicts, but it let all but one of them go after funding ran dry in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
In two-dimensional liquid chromatography, compounds are separated in two different ways, giving scientists much greater resolving power when working with samples containing many closely related chemicals.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Both Xi and President Trump are prioritizing the summit’s optics and pageantry over resolving major policy disputes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
The club have not yet given up hope of resolving the situation given Gabriel has a contract that runs to the end of the season.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
There was one other major problem with Earth theories that no one had resolved, or even come close to resolving.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
