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

“Opening our backcountry forests to more roads and development, and therefore more ignitions, is also not a wildfire solution and never will be,” said Josh Hicks, director of conservation with the nonprofit Wilderness Society.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Tell him to review the original claim file to see whether the insurer’s adjuster explicitly approved a repair-only solution despite the contractor’s recommendation for a full roof replacement.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

"Nature has the solution -- we just have to find it and apply it," Poudel said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

A better solution might be to invest more in improved cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, like the power grids that risk being hacked.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Only by “cooperation and close collaboration of all concerned could the solution possibly have been reached,” he wrote.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

That helped the company develop solutions in a fraction of the time usually required, including a new GLP-1-friendly brand debuting soon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

"This is a self-inflicted wound. The organisation has pressed the self-destruct button, and the consequence of that flow now into the solutions to be that need to be found."

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Through the 2010s, Google was working on machine-learning solutions to improve the accuracy of its search engine.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 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

A bow drawn backwards and forwards across a string, or a handle mechanism that turned the edge of a wheel against a string, were the most common solutions.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• explanation
• quick fix
• result