resolution

noun

res·​o·​lu·​tion ˌre-zə-ˈlü-shən 

1

: the act or process of resolving: such as

a

: the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones

b

: the act of answering : solving

c

: the act of determining

d

: the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance

e

: the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents

f(1)

: the division of a prosodic element into its component parts

(2)

: the substitution in Greek or Latin prosody of two short syllables for a long syllable

g

: the analysis of a vector into two or more vectors of which it is the sum

2

: the subsidence of a pathological state (such as inflammation)

3

a

: something that is resolved

made a resolution to mend my ways

b

: firmness of resolve

4

: a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent voted by an official body or assembled group

5

: the point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out

6

a

: the process or capability of making distinguishable the individual parts of an object, closely adjacent optical images, or sources of light

b

: a measure of the sharpness of an image or of the fineness with which a device (such as a video display, printer, or scanner) can produce or record such an image usually expressed as the total number or density of pixels in the image

a resolution of 1200 dots per inch

Synonyms

• decision
• verdict
• opinion
• conclusion
• determination

Choose the Right Synonym for resolution

courage, mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity mean mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship.

courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.

the courage to support unpopular causes

mettle suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience.

a challenge that will test your mettle

spirit also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one's own or keep up one's morale when opposed or threatened.

her spirit was unbroken by failure

resolution stresses firm determination to achieve one's ends.

the resolution of pioneer women

tenacity adds to resolution implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat.

held to their beliefs with great tenacity

Examples of resolution in a Sentence

In June, the demagogic militia leader Moqtada al Sadr … sponsored a resolution requiring the government to seek permission of the parliament before asking the U.N. to reauthorize the presence of foreign forces in Iraq. —Lawrence Wright, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2007

Perrotta tells a good story in a top-shelf romance kind of way, and you'll very likely find yourself eager to get to the resolution once you've begun. —Paul J. Griffiths, Commonweal, 21 Dec. 2007

The new revelation was that, in high resolution, the valley showed deep channels and scours sharply incised into bedrock … —Bertram Schwarzschild, Physics Today, September 2007

In late August, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution calling for peacekeepers to deploy to Darfur to stop a genocide that has claimed some 400,000 lives over the last three years. —New Republic, 30 Oct. 2006

The OMEGA spectrometer on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has gone where no spectrometer has gone before, covering near-infrared wavelengths and offering 10 times the resolution of earlier instruments. —George Musser, Scientific American, December 2005

But Hannah's brief resolution suddenly gave way, and all at once she clung to Kit, sobbing like a child. —Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, 1987

Here again it would seem that the vicarious experience just once of seeing another human being completely "blotto" should be sufficient to engender a firm and unbreakable resolution never to take a chance on making a similarly disgusting spectacle of oneself. —David A. Embury, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, 1970

a court for the resolution of civil disputes

We found a resolution to the dispute.

computer screens with high resolutions

The monitor has excellent resolution.

Recent Examples on the Web

The display area matches the size of a human pupil and achieves a resolution beyond 25,000 pixels per inch (ppi), which is about 150 times denser than most smartphone screens. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025

The high-resolution view revealed that the flux ropes formed when the solar eruption slammed into the slower solar wind ahead of it. —JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025

Without getting into spoilers, her one-and-done appearance in Episode 5 presents the perfect opportunity for the more-than-capable Meester to match wits with Bell’s judgmental Joanna, only to strand the actor with boring, obvious jokes and saddle her with a feeble resolution. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Oct. 2025

The approach may also introduce new complexities, like handling different image resolutions or color variations. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English resolucioun, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French resolucion, from Latin resolution-, resolutio, from resolvere — see resolve entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing resolution

• concurrent resolution
• joint resolution
• New Year's resolution

Rhymes for resolution

• absolution
• allocution
• attribution
• comminution
• constitution
• contribution
• convolution
• destitution
• devolution
• diminution
• dissolution
• distribution

Kids Definition

resolution

noun

res·​o·​lu·​tion ˌrez-ə-ˈlü-shən 

1

a

: the act or process of changing to simpler form

b

: the act of answering

the resolution of a problem

c

: the act of determining

2

a

: the process or capability of distinguishing (as parts of an object or sources of light)

b

: a measure of the sharpness of an image or of the sharpness with which a device can produce or record an image

a printer with a resolution of 1200 dots per inch

3

a

: something that is resolved

New Year resolutions

b

: determination sense 4

4

: a formal statement of the feelings, wishes, or decision of a group

5

: the point in a work of literature at which the main conflict is worked out

Medical Definition

resolution

noun

res·​o·​lu·​tion ˌrez-ə-ˈlü-shən 

1

: the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents

2

: the process or capability of making distinguishable the individual parts of an object, closely adjacent optical images, or sources of light

3

: the subsidence of a pathological state (as inflammation)

Legal Definition

resolution

noun

res·​o·​lu·​tion ˌre-zə-ˈlü-shən 

1

: a formal expression of opinion, will, or intention voted by an official body (as a legislature) or assembled group see also concurrent resolution, joint resolution

2

: an expression or document containing authorization usually by a corporate board of directors of a particular act, transaction, agent, or representative

a corporate resolution authorizing counsel to bind the corporation to a settlement