Solve vs Resolve - What's the Difference? - One Minute English

Solve usually refers to the process of finding a correct answer to the problem, where resolve refers to bringing the problem to an end or conclusion. There is ... SkiptocontentSolveandresolvecanseemliketheyarethesamewordwhenyoulookatthem.Theylookalike,soundalike,butthemeaningsofthetwowordsaredifferentandshouldbeusedindifferentcontexts.Solveusuallyreferstotheprocessoffindingacorrectanswertotheproblem,whereresolvereferstobringingtheproblemtoanendorconclusion.Thereisnosetanswerforresolvingaproblem,butthereisforsolvingaproblem.SolveSolvemeansdiscoveringtheanswertoaquestionorproblem.Forexample,yousolveamathproblem,yousolveamystery,oryousolveacrime.Itcanalsomeantopaysomethingoff,likeadebt,infull.ThiswordisaverbandcomesfromtheLatinwordsolver,meaningtountieorloosen.Therearestepsthatyoucantaketosolveaproblemandreachasolution.Whenitcomestosolvingaproblem,youwilleasilybeabletoidentifytheproblemathand,developalternativewaystofixtheproblem,choosethebestalternative,implementyourchoice,andfindoutifitworks.Ifitdoes,yousolvetheproblem.Ifnot,startoverandtryagain.ExamplesCanyouhelpmesolvethismathproblem?Isolvedthemysterybeforereachingtheendofthebook.Yellingwon’thelpsolveyourproblems.Thismazeisimpossibletosolve,we’relost!IwassorelievedwhenIfinallysolvedmydebttothebank.ResolveResolvehasmultiplemeaningsandcanbeusedasaverboranoun.Itcanrefertosolvingaproblembetweentwoormorepeople,butnoteveryoneissatisfiedwiththesolution.Toresolvesomethingistomaketheproblemgoawayorbringanendtotheissue.Ifyouaresayingaproblemhasbeensolved,youcansaythatithasbeenresolved.Resolvecanalsorefertodealingwithsomethingsuccessfully,suchasdoubtoradispute.Infewerwords,itmeanstosettleorfindananswertoadisputeorargument.Resolveisalsoacharactertraitthatconsistsofdetermination.Thepersonwhoshowsresolvewillcontrolthesituationandcomeupwithasolution.Argumentswillleadtoproblemsandwithoutawaytoresolvethem,theargumentwilllikelycontinue.ExamplesThebestwaytoresolveasituationistotalkitout.Therewasnothingthathadtheabilitytoweakenhisresolvetocontinuethemission.BeforeIknewit,theproblemwasresolved,andeverythingwasbacktonormal.Thegirlsresolvedtheirargumentbycompromisingwitheachother.IhaveresolvedthatIamgoingtolivelifetothefullest.WhentoUseSolveandResolveThetwowordshaveslightlydifferentcontexts.Forexample,solveisobjectiveandresolveissubjective.Problemsthatneedtobesolvedwillhaveafactualanswer.Problemsthatneedtoberesolvedusuallyhaveaflexible,debatablesolution.Solveconcernsproblemsoflogic.Youwouldsolveamathproblem,adilemma,ariddle,oracomputingproblem.Yousolveamysterywhenyoufigureoutwhathappened.Yousolvemoneyproblemswhenyougetapaycheck.Resolveconcernsproblemsofemotion.Youwouldresolveaconflict,dispute,ordisagreement.Youresolveanargumentormisunderstanding.Thereisnoonesetanswertoresolvetheseproblems,sotheyareemotionalproblems.Inotherwords,asolutionisalwaysthere,youjustneedtofindit.Aresolutionisnotalwaysthere,itisasolutionyoumakeuptosolvesomething.PostnavigationTheBestwebsitestolearnEnglishPleaseenableJavaScriptTheBestwebsitestolearnEnglish←PreviousPostNextPost→50%DiscountforEspressoEnglish600+lessonsx