Word
soluble
Phoneticssol·u·ble
US/ˈsɑɫjəbəɫ/
UK/sˈɒljuːbəl/
Definitions
01able to be dissolved
adj. describes a substance that can be mixed into a liquid until it disappears.
adj. capable of being dissolved, especially in water or another liquid solvent.
“Sugar is highly soluble in hot water, so it disappears quickly when you stir it.”
“The laboratory results confirmed that the compound was only slightly soluble in cold ethanol, requiring a higher temperature to achieve full saturation.”
Technical
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'in'.
Teaching tip
While common in chemistry, students will also see this on food packaging, such as 'soluble fiber' or 'soluble coffee'.
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02able to be solved
adj. describes a problem or mystery that has an answer or a way to fix it.
adj. susceptible of being solved, resolved, or explained.
“The manager believed that the conflict between the two teams was soluble through better communication.”
“The philosopher argued that while some paradoxes are merely linguistic traps, others represent soluble problems that science will eventually address.”
Academic · Formal
Teaching tip
In this abstract sense, 'insoluble' is actually more common than 'soluble' (e.g., 'an insoluble mystery').
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English soluble, from Old French soluble, from Late Latin solūbilis, from Latin solvere (“to loosen”) + -bilis. Piecewise doublet of solvable.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/soluble