unresolved
Britishadjective
Explanation
The word unresolved may describe an argument that has not been solved, a question that remains unanswered, or a decision that has not been made — like the title of "Checkers Champion" after a tie game. The word unresolved is used for a situation that lacks a resolution, or ending. It can also describe unaddressed emotions, such as anger or sadness, as in the unresolved issues you have toward your hamster ever since it bit your finger. The word unresolved can also be used to describe musical dissonance — if you hear a chord in a symphony that makes you think the song isn’t over, the chord is probably unresolved.
Vocabulary lists containing unresolved
The Blood of Olympus
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"The American Pageant," Vocabulary from Chapters 36-37
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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.
The unresolved trade issues between the two sides, a list that is almost comical in both its breadth and specificity, suggests why Ford has so much pull.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
One major question, however, has remained unresolved, Yu said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Root will have regrets from his first attempt, and maybe a sense of unresolved business.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Nick cannot show that Mr. Kanin’s conduct — rather than the unresolved legal question that persists under an entirely different trustee — caused any delay in his receipt of the distribution.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ernest’s colitis recurred in 1956, a flare-up he attributed largely to stress over the unresolved fate of Chromatic.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
