resolve
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to find a successful way to deal with a problem or a disagreement.
v.to find a solution to a problem, dispute, or contentious matter. Transitive; requires a direct object.
Simple“The two companies hope to resolve their argument without going to court.”
In context“The management team met for several hours to resolve the outstanding issues regarding the new employment contracts.”
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a very strong and firm decision to do something.
v.to make a firm decision or formal expression of intent. Often followed by a 'to' infinitive or a 'that' clause.
Simple“After the long holiday, she resolved to exercise every morning.”
In context“The committee resolved that the project should proceed immediately despite the projected increase in material costs.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to break something down into its smaller, basic parts.
v.to separate or break down a complex substance, idea, or image into its constituent parts or elements.
Simple“The prism resolved the white light into the colors of the rainbow.”
In context“The chemical process is designed to resolve the compound into its individual enantiomers for further pharmaceutical testing.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to show the individual parts of an image clearly, like on a screen or through a lens.
v.to render visible or distinguishable the individual parts of an image or signal.
Simple“The new telescope can resolve distant stars that look like a single point of light.”
In context“The software must resolve the hostname to an IP address before the connection can be established.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
v.to move from a tense or clashing sound to a relaxing, pleasant one.
v.to cause a chord or melody to move from a state of dissonance to consonance.
Simple“The song sounds beautiful when the final tense note resolves to the main key.”
In context“The composer uses a series of suspended chords that eventually resolve into a triumphant major triad.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.strong determination to do something even when it is difficult.
n.firmness of purpose or intent; unyielding determination. Uncountable in this sense.
Simple“The difficult climb tested his resolve to reach the top of the mountain.”
In context“The recent setbacks have only strengthened the government's resolve to push forward with the economic reforms.”
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage resolve ambiguity · resolve conflict · resolve difference
“The two-day visit will not resolve those problems.”
“Their scale sits below what telescopes with mirrors smaller than 2 meters can resolve.”
From Middle English resolven, from Old French resolver, a learned borrowing of Latin resolvō (“loosen, thaw, melt, resolve”), equivalent to re- + solve. Piecewise doublet of re-solve.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.