Resolution | Definition of resolution by Merriam-Webster

Full Definition of RESOLUTION

1

: the act or process of resolving: 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 (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 (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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Examples of RESOLUTION

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
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Origin of RESOLUTION

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to RESOLUTION

Synonyms: award, call, conclusion, deliverance, determination, diagnosis, judgment (or judgement), opinion, decision, verdict

Antonyms: hesitation, indecision, indecisiveness, irresoluteness, irresolution, vacillation

Synonym Discussion of 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>.