Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To make a firm decision about: synonym: decide.
- intransitive verb To decide or express by formal vote.
- intransitive verb To cause (a person) to reach a decision.
- intransitive verb To change or convert.
- intransitive verb To find a solution to; solve.
- intransitive verb To remove or dispel (doubts).
- intransitive verb To bring to a usually successful conclusion.
- intransitive verb Medicine To cause reduction of (an inflammation, for example).
- intransitive verb Music To cause (a tone or chord) to progress from dissonance to consonance.
- intransitive verb Chemistry To separate (an optically inactive compound or mixture) into its optically active constituents.
- intransitive verb To render parts of (an image) visible and distinct.
- intransitive verb Mathematics To separate (a vector, for example) into coordinate components.
- intransitive verb Archaic To separate (something) into constituent parts.
- intransitive verb Obsolete To cause (something) to melt or dissolve.
- intransitive verb To reach a decision or make a determination.
- intransitive verb To become separated or reduced to constituents.
- intransitive verb Music To undergo resolution.
- noun Firmness of purpose; resolution.
- noun A determination or decision; a fixed purpose.
- noun A formal resolution made by a deliberative body.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To loosen; set loose or at ease; relax.
- To melt; dissolve.
- To disintegrate; reduce to constituent or elementary parts; separate the component parts of.
- Specifically In medicine, to effect the disappearance of (a swelling) without the formation of pus.
- To analyze; reduce by mental analysis.
- To solve; free from perplexities; clear of difficulties; explain: as, to
resolve questions of casuistry; to resolve doubts; to resolve a riddle. - In mathematics, to solve; answer (a question).
- In algebra, to bring all the known quantities of (an equation) to one side, and the unknown quantity to the other.
- In mech., to separate mathematically (a force or other vector quantity) into components, by the application of the parallelogram of forces, or of an analogous principle. The parts need not have independent reality.
- To transform by or as by dissolution.
- To free from doubt or perplexity; inform; acquaint; answer.
- To settle in an opinion; make certain; convince.
- To fix in a determination or purpose; determine; decide: used chiefly in the past participle.
- To determine on; intend; purpose.
- To make ready in mind; prepare.
- To determine on; specifically, to express, as an opinion or determination, by or as by resolution and vote.
- In music, of a voice-part or of the harmony in general, to cause to progress from a discord to a concord.
- To melt; dissolve; become fluid.
- To become separated into component or elementary parts; disintegrate; in general, to be reduced as by dissolution or analysis.
- To form an opinion, purpose, or resolution; determine in mind; purpose: as, he resolved on amendment of life.
- To be settled in opinion; be convinced.
- In music, of a voice-part or of the harmony in general, to pass from a discord to a concord.
- In optics, to make distinguishable, by means of an optical instrument, the details of structure of a body, or to separate by such means close-lying bodies, such as the stars in a cluster.
- noun The act of resolving or solving; resolution; solution.
- noun An answer.
- noun That which has been resolved or determined on; a resolution.
- noun Firmness or fixedness of purpose; resolution; determination.
- noun The determination or declaration of any corporation, association, or representative body; a resolution.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To separate the component parts of; to reduce to the constituent elements; -- said of compound substances; hence, sometimes, to melt, or dissolve.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Does anybody believe Obama when he says "our resolve is unwavering" after dithering for 4 months, and saying he wants to exit by the end of his 1st term .... obviously when he needs his crazy left wing for his reelection bid.
Crowley: Obama says it's imperative U.S. sends a clear message 2009
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Straddling the fence is the game and gutless or seriously lacking in resolve and determination is the guy who can read but not lead! diridi
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And just in terms of where black men were then and where they are now, I think the same resolve is in the black community is amongst black men to want to better themselves and better their families.
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Half the book finishes the main story, and apparently the only thread left to resolve is whom Hagumi will pick to spend her life with.
Shojo Beat Chibis: Sand Chronicles 8, Otomen 6, Honey & Clover 10 » Manga Worth Reading 2010
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And just in terms of where black men were then and where they are now, I think the same resolve is in the black community is amongst black men to want to better themselves and better their families.
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Their resolve is no less than these thugs -- they after hunting them down.
Iran Election Live-Blogging (Friday June 19) The Huffington Post News Team 2009
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We must remember the words of Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said that "resolve is a force multiplier."
Hamed Wardak: Committing to "Obama's Wars" Hamed Wardak 2010
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One of the questions we have to resolve is why Kohlhammer would * want* to be president.
Cheeseburger Gothic » And now, Gentlemen, down to business. 2010
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We must remember the words of Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said that "resolve is a force multiplier."
Hamed Wardak: Committing to "Obama's Wars" Hamed Wardak 2010
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But while Hopson may seem like a softie, his resolve is strong: he would rather break the laws of Costa Rica than his word to Andres.
The Snatchback 2009
oroboros commented on the word resolve
Contranymic in the sense of resolve = firmness and resolve = to ease, soften, as a problem. Also one of the bi-sonics: solve again v. determination, firmness..
July 8, 2012