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resolve

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To make a firm decision to do something.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

reezahlv

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɹiˈzɑlv

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. intransitive

    To make a firm decision to do something. To become determined to reach a certain goal or take a certain action.

    “He resolved never to drink again.”

  2. transitive

    To determine or decide in purpose; to make ready in mind; to fix; to settle.

  3. transitive

    To find a solution to (a problem).

  4. Cause to go into a solution

  5. To come to an agreement or make peace; patch up relationship, settle differences, bury the hatchet.

  6. transitive

    To reduce to simple or intelligible notions; to make clear or certain; to unravel; to explain.

noun

  1. countable

    An act of resolving something; resolution.

  2. uncountable

    Determination; will power.

  3. countable

    A determination to do something; a fixed decision.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To make a firm decision to do something. To become determined to reach a certain goal or take a certain action.

Used this way, resolve is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence
“He resolved never to drink again.”
Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use resolve

  • “He resolved never to drink again.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

resolve conflictsfirm resolveresolve problems

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • resolvedadjectiveInflected form

    Explained or answered.

  • resolvingnounInflected form

    Analysis into clear-cut components.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • resolving powernounCompound term

    The ability of a microscope or telescope to measure the angular separation of images that are close together.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.