resolution

noun
res·​o·​lu·​tion | \ ˌre-zə-ˈlü-shən How to pronounce resolution (audio) \

Definition of resolution

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)
3a : 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
6a : 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

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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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

But a full resolution of U.S.-China differences on trade remains, at best, months away, trade experts say, and could well slip into the next presidential term. The Christian Science Monitor, "Photos of the Week, July 29 to Aug. 2," 2 Aug. 2019 Depending on the resolution of that dispute, this data may possibly prove relevant. Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Trump’s Cynical War on American Citizenship," 30 July 2019 The tweet appeared to criticise a resolution of the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, which condemned the campaign for boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) against Israel as anti-Semitic. The Economist, "How the Jewish Museum Berlin fell out with Jews," 25 July 2019 Part Three My pursuit of the Andamanese had a resolution of sorts. Alex Perry, Outside Online, "The Last Days of John Allen Chau," 24 July 2019 If squabbling among members of the Arctic Five does not jeopardize orderly resolution of seafloor claims, two other wild cards could. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, "Nations Claim Large Overlapping Sections of Arctic Seafloor," 23 July 2019 The Fairfield Police Department continues to investigate after the peaceful resolution of a domestic situation. Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "SWAT responds to domestic situation in Fairfield," 21 July 2019 Pelosi had begun working on a resolution of disapproval Sunday night in conversations with Reps. Anchorage Daily News, "‘He always doubles down’: Inside the political crisis caused by Trump’s racist tweets," 21 July 2019 The racist tweet prompted the House to pass a resolution of condemnation on Tuesday, mostly along party lines. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, "Trump seeks to disavow ‘send her back’ chant at his rally," 18 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'resolution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of resolution

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for resolution

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

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More Definitions for resolution

resolution

noun

English Language Learners Definition of resolution

: the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc. : the act of resolving something
: an answer or solution to something
: the ability of a device to show an image clearly and with a lot of detail

resolution

noun