solution
Americannoun
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the act of solving a problem, question, etc..
The situation is approaching solution.
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the state of being solved.
a problem capable of solution.
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a particular instance or method of solving; an explanation or answer.
The solution is as good as any other.
- Synonyms:
- resolution, key
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Mathematics.
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the process of determining the answer to a problem.
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the answer itself.
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Chemistry.
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the process by which a gas, liquid, or solid is dispersed homogeneously in a gas, liquid, or solid without chemical change.
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such a substance, as dissolved sugar or salt in solution.
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a homogeneous, molecular mixture of two or more substances.
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Also called liquor. Pharmacology. a liquid, usually water, in which a medication is dissolved.
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Medicine/Medical.
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the termination of a disease.
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a breach or break in anything, especially one in parts of the body normally continuous, as from fracture or laceration.
solution of continuity.
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noun
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a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances in which the molecules or atoms of the substances are completely dispersed. The constituents can be solids, liquids, or gases
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the act or process of forming a solution
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the state of being dissolved (esp in the phrase in solution )
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a mixture of two or more substances in which one or more components are present as small particles with colloidal dimension; colloid
a colloidal solution
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a specific answer to or way of answering a problem
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the act or process of solving a problem
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maths
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the unique set of values that yield a true statement when substituted for the variables in an equation
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a member of a set of assignments of values to variables under which a given statement is satisfied; a member of a solution set
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the stage of a disease, following a crisis, resulting in its termination
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law the payment, discharge, or satisfaction of a claim, debt, etc
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Chemistry A mixture in which particles of one or more substances (the solute) are distributed uniformly throughout another substance (the solvent), so that the mixture is homogeneous at the molecular or ionic level. The particles in a solution are smaller than those in either a colloid or a suspension.
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Chemistry Compare colloid suspension
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Mathematics A value or values which, when substituted for a variable in an equation, make the equation true. For example, the solutions to the equation x 2 = 4 are 2 and −2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of solution
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin solūtiōn-, stem of solūtiō, equivalent to solūt(us) ( see solute) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A solution is all about solving or dissolving. If you find an answer to a question, both the answer and how you got there is the solution. If you dissolve a solid into a liquid, you've created a different kind of solution. This noun descends from Middle English solucion, from Old French, from Latin solutio, from solvere "to loosen." Think of solution both as a loosening of the chemical bonds that make something solid––when you loosen the structure of salt by mixing it into water, you create a solution. When you loosen the "knot" of a math problem you do the same thing––you loosen, untangle or solve it.
Vocabulary lists containing solution
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 1
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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The Ingenious Lexicon of Invention
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“It was not possible for me to imagine a solution to the level of fragmentation, pain, and dysfunction I saw,” she writes, leaving readers without much justification for having followed her rambling, idiosyncratic quest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
That is the way out of the discourse doom loop and into the solution.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
A simple solution that has already attracted two million users, most of whom did not have a bank account before.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
But it now has only an acting defence minister, and still no solution.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
When a Spanish priest saw how cruelly the natives were treated and how rapidly they were dying, he recommended a solution.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Paul Gigliotti, the chief executive of the California Mortgage Bankers Assn., said his organization is taking these concerns seriously, but provided few specifics on solutions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The issues MLB raises are legitimate; the solutions need not be so draconian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
But the solutions that he offers fail to reckon with either history or reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Christian Reynolds, Reader in Food Policy at City St George's University, London says tech is one of a basket of solutions but research shows the limits.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
After several weeks, they had worked out solutions for a third of the possible settings.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.