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.
"You could run into the extremes of eating too much, where if you're not drinking enough water to hydrate and exceed the amount of soluble and insoluble fiber, you can get constipated," Lee said.
From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026
During earlier warm periods, when more ice broke off from West Antarctica and drifted northward, the iron entering the ocean was often in this poorly soluble form.
From Science Daily • Feb. 4, 2026
From a palatability standpoint, soluble fibers are more favorable.
From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026
It’s important to note that brewed coffee already contains soluble dietary fiber.
From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026
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.
