verb
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to find the explanation for or solution to (a mystery, problem, etc)
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maths
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to work out the answer to (a problem)
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to obtain the roots of (an equation)
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of solve
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English solven, from Latin solvere “to loosen, free, release”
Explanation
To solve something is to find a solution, like figuring out the answer to a complex riddle. The verb solve is often used in mathematics, and it means to answer a math problem. You can solve other, non-mathematical problems too — like the question of what to wear when you've run out of clean clothes (your sibling's clothes!). The word solve originally came from the Latin solvere, which meant "to loosen or untie." If you think of any kind of complex problem as a knot, then the original definition of solve still makes sense!
Vocabulary lists containing solve
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Kids Are Inventors, Too"
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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.
Making it tougher still is sound bleed from a film detailing the 1781 British conquest of the island, a problem that headphones could solve.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
The new method reduced noise and significantly lowered the computational cost required to solve these equations.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
The six books follow a group of pensioners in a Kent village who join together to solve murders.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
Young job seekers benefit from prioritizing “projects, side hustles and practical experience that show you can build, adapt and solve problems — not just what you studied,” Kantenga said.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
"I still can't believe we have to solve the case by this afternoon!"
From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene
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.
