Rĕs'/o-lū'tion, n.
n. [Fr. résolution, Sp. resolucion, It. resoluzione, risoluzione, Pr. rezolucio, Lat. resolutio. See RESOLVE.] 1. The act, operation, or process of resolving; as, (a.) The act of separating a compound into its elements or parts; dissolution. (b.) The act of analyzing a complex notion, or solving a vexed question, or difficult problem. The unraveling and resolution of the difficulties that are met with in the execution of the design are the end of an action. Dryden.
- The state of being relaxed; relaxation. [Obs.]
- The state of being resolved, made clear, or determined; firmness; steadiness; constancy.
Little resolution and certainty there is as touching the islands of Mauritania. Holland. Be it with resolution, then, to fight. Shak.
- That which is resolved or determined; especially, the decision of a court, or the vote of an assembly; as, a judicial or legislative resolution; the resolutions of a public meeting.
- The state of being resolved or firm in opinion or thought; conviction; assurance. [Obs.]
- (Math.) The act or process of solving; solution; as, the resolution of an equation or problem.
- (Med.) A breaking up, disappearance, or termination, as of a fever, a tumor, and the like.
- (Mus.) The passing of a dissonant into its proper consonant chord.
Resolution of a force, or of a motion (Mech.), the separation of a single force or motion into two or more which have different directions, and, taken together, are an equivalent for the single one; — the opposite of composition. — Resolution of a nebula (Astron.), the exhibition of it to the eye by a telescope of such power as to show it to be composed of small stars. — Resolution of a quantity into its factors (Math.), the operation of finding two or more factors such that their product is equal to the given quantity. Math. Dict. Syn. — Decision; analysis; separation; disentanglement; dissolution; resolvedness; resoluteness; firmness; constancy; perseverance; steadfastness; fortitude; boldness; purpose; resolve. See DECISION.
