1
: able to pay all legal debts
a solvent company
2
: that dissolves or can dissolve
solvent action of water
solvently
adverb
1
: a usually liquid substance capable of dissolving or dispersing one or more other substances
2
: something that provides a solution
3
: something that eliminates or attenuates something especially unwanted
Examples of solvent in a Sentence
Adjective
He couldn't stay solvent after losing his business.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
One of the primary methods used in the extraction process is solvent extraction.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2023
That includes ensuring that that the Social Security Trust Fund is solvent.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024
Novavax is on thin ice Novavax, the company whose corporate missteps repeatedly sidelined an effective Covid-19 vaccine, is relying on demand for booster doses to remain solvent.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 1 Feb. 2024
The 2007-08 financial crisis was followed by a government bailout and a supervised restructuring of Chrysler and G.M., which forced U.A.W. workers across the Big Three to make major concessions to keep their jobs—and to keep the companies solvent.
—Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
But according to the new draft, the liabilities dropped by $115 million as of June, and the reclamation fund will remain solvent through 2043.
—Ken Ward Jr., ProPublica, 1 Dec. 2023
Well, greedy people who are perfectly solvent but want more, and expect to get it from acquaintances, friends and strangers alike -- that’s who.
—Judith Martin, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
Their first priority is making sure plans remain solvent; protecting consumers from unlawful denials often takes a backseat.
—Maya Miller, ProPublica, 16 Nov. 2023
Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Harsh chemicals, artificial ingredients, and solvents are harmful to your dog's health.
—Holistapet, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The ingredient acts as a solvent, binding to caffeine in coffee beans so it can then be discarded.
—Nicholas Florko, STAT, 28 Mar. 2024
These approaches involve the use of inks containing organic and inorganic salts that are dissolved in a solvent.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2024
Your stylist will either use a plier-like tool to separate the tapes or a special solvent to dissolve the proteins of the glue so the extension can easily slide out with minimal tugging.
—Tayler Adigun, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
Another method, hydrometallurgy, leaches the metals out of the black mass by dissolving it in acids and other solvents.
—Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
People also felt the BBFC’s current policy towards classifying solvent misuse was overly cautious, and this finding has been supported by expert advice.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024
Officers ultimately found more than 100 items of lab equipment as well as chemical reagents and solvents to produce and manufacture meth, officials said.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2024
Adjective
And, relatedly, neither party will tell the truth about our entitlement programs, much less act to keep them solvent.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
One of the primary methods used in the extraction process is solvent extraction.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2023
That includes ensuring that that the Social Security Trust Fund is solvent.
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024
Novavax is on thin ice Novavax, the company whose corporate missteps repeatedly sidelined an effective Covid-19 vaccine, is relying on demand for booster doses to remain solvent.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 1 Feb. 2024
The 2007-08 financial crisis was followed by a government bailout and a supervised restructuring of Chrysler and G.M., which forced U.A.W. workers across the Big Three to make major concessions to keep their jobs—and to keep the companies solvent.
—Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
But according to the new draft, the liabilities dropped by $115 million as of June, and the reclamation fund will remain solvent through 2043.
—Ken Ward Jr., ProPublica, 1 Dec. 2023
Well, greedy people who are perfectly solvent but want more, and expect to get it from acquaintances, friends and strangers alike -- that’s who.
—Judith Martin, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023
Their first priority is making sure plans remain solvent; protecting consumers from unlawful denials often takes a backseat.
—Maya Miller, ProPublica, 16 Nov. 2023
Noun
Americans lose over $126 million to Social Security scams, FTC reports 02:20
Schlesinger also highlights another scam that the IRS has not yet warned about involving theft of paper checks, in which thieves use a solvent to physically change the dollar amounts.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Harsh chemicals, artificial ingredients, and solvents are harmful to your dog's health.
—Holistapet, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The ingredient acts as a solvent, binding to caffeine in coffee beans so it can then be discarded.
—Nicholas Florko, STAT, 28 Mar. 2024
These approaches involve the use of inks containing organic and inorganic salts that are dissolved in a solvent.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2024
Your stylist will either use a plier-like tool to separate the tapes or a special solvent to dissolve the proteins of the glue so the extension can easily slide out with minimal tugging.
—Tayler Adigun, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
Another method, hydrometallurgy, leaches the metals out of the black mass by dissolving it in acids and other solvents.
—Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
People also felt the BBFC’s current policy towards classifying solvent misuse was overly cautious, and this finding has been supported by expert advice.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024
Officers ultimately found more than 100 items of lab equipment as well as chemical reagents and solvents to produce and manufacture meth, officials said.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solvent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near solvent
Cite this Entry
“Solvent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solvent. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
solvent
1 of 2 adjective
sol·vent
ˈsäl-vənt 
ˈsȯl-
: able to pay all legal debts
solvent
2 of 2 noun
: a usually liquid substance capable of dissolving one or more other substances
Medical Definition
solvent
1 of 2 adjective
sol·vent
ˈsäl-vənt, ˈsȯl-
: that dissolves or can dissolve
solvent fluids
solvent action of water
solvent
2 of 2 noun
: a substance capable of or used in dissolving or dispersing one or more other substances
especially
: a liquid component of a solution present in greater amount than the solute
Legal Definition
solvent
adjective
sol·vent
ˈsäl-vənt
: able to pay all legal debts as they become due
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share