English Explanatory Dictionary

solve

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.
  2. to find out the perpetrator, the motive etc (of crime)
  3. To find the values of variables that satisfy a system of equations and/or inequalities.
  4. To algebraically manipulate an equation or inequality into a form that isolates a chosen variable on one side, so that the other side consists of an expression that may be used to generate solutions.
  5. To loosen or separate the parts of.
  6. To dissolve
noun
  1. A solution; an explanation.

Pronunciation

/sɑlv/ /sɔlv/ [sɔ(ː)ɫv] /sɒlv/ [sɔɫv] [sɔʊ̯v] LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-solve.wav

Word forms

solve solves solving solved

Etymology

From Middle English solven, from Latin solvō.

Synonyms

absolve decipher get to the bottom of iron out meliorate puzzle out ravel reason out resolve riddle sleuth solve tease out think out unpuzzle unravel unriddle unsolve upsolve work out Any from Thesaurus:untangle

Antonyms

bark up the wrong tree confuse missolve

Related words

absolve dissolve resolve soluble solute solution solvent figure out sort out straighten out

Derived words

backsolve missolve presolve problem-solve re-solve solvable solvible unsolve upsolve
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