resolution

[rez-uh-loo-shuhn]

noun

1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group.

2. the act of resolving or determining upon an action, course of action, method, procedure, etc.

3. a resolve; a decision or determination.

   to make a firm resolution to do something.

   Her resolution to clear her parents' name allowed her no other focus in life.

4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

   She showed her resolution by not attending the meeting.

   Synonyms: fortitude, strength, tenacity, perseverance, determination, resolve

5. the act or process of resolving or separating something into constituent or elementary parts.

6. the resulting state.

7. Optics.,  the act, process, or capability of distinguishing between two separate but adjacent objects or sources of light or between two nearly equal wavelengths.

8. a solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem, controversy, etc.

9. Music.

   1. the progression of a voice part or of the harmony as a whole from a dissonance to a consonance.

   2. the tone or chord to which a dissonance is resolved.

10. reduction to a simpler form; conversion.

11. Medicine/Medical.,  the reduction or disappearance of a swelling or inflammation without suppuration.

12. the degree of sharpness of a computer-generated image as measured by the number of dots per linear inch in a hard-copy printout or the number of pixels across and down on a display screen.

resolution

/ ˌrɛzəˈluːʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of resolving

2. the condition or quality of being resolute; firmness or determination

3. something resolved or determined; decision

4. a formal expression of opinion by a meeting, esp one agreed by a vote

5. a judicial decision on some matter; verdict; judgment

6. the act or process of separating something into its constituent parts or elements

7. med

   1. return from a pathological to a normal condition

   2. subsidence of the symptoms of a disease, esp the disappearance of inflammation without the formation of pus

8. music the process in harmony whereby a dissonant note or chord is followed by a consonant one

9. the ability of a television or film image to reproduce fine detail

10. physics another word for resolving power

Other Word Forms

• nonresolution noun
• preresolution noun
• resolutioner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of resolution¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin resolūtiōn-, stem of resolūtiō “looseness, a release” equivalent to resolute + -ion

Example Sentences

The vote on the Sanders resolution also took place at an especially visceral moment of Israel’s assault on Gaza, with images of starving children going viral and the international media reporting on a looming famine.

From Salon

Matt Davies, from Stagecoach, said the company would continue to work towards a resolution and was preparing contingency plans if the drivers go ahead with "unnecessary strike action".

From BBC

“Greg and I attempted to play tennis four days a week as our New Year’s resolution,” she says, laughing.

From Los Angeles Times

"The sooner we get to a full resolution, the better."

From BBC

Each time this came back around, the best Congress could do was to vote for a continuing resolution to keep the government running at the same funding levels for a few more months.

From Salon

Related Words

• conclusion 
• decision 
• finding 
• motion 
• outcome 
• proposal 
• proposition 
• recommendation 
• settlement 
• solution 
• verdict