All 33 Uses of

resolve
in
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

She had lived forty years under the same roof with my grandmother; she knew how faithfully she had served her owners, and how cruelly she had been defrauded of her rights; and she resolved to protect her.
Chpt 2

resolved = decided

The war of my life had begun; and though one of God's most powerless creatures, I resolved never to be conquered.
Chpt 4

But he resolved to remove the obstacle in the way of his scheme; and he thought he had planned it so that he should evade suspicion.
Chpt 6

But while the Free States sustain a law which hurls fugitives back into slavery, how can the slaves resolve to become men?
Chpt 8

resolve = decide; or decision

Report said that this young lady cherished an unrequited affection for a man who had resolved to marry for wealth.
Chpt 9

resolved = decided

I had resolved that I would be virtuous, though I was a slave.
Chpt 10 *

resolved = definitely decided

I was lowered in my own estimation, and had resolved to bear his abuse in silence.
Chpt 11

resolved = decided

A Christian name they were at least entitled to; and we resolved to call my boy for our dear good Benjamin, who had gone far away from us.†
Chpt 14

My mind was made up; I was resolved that I would foil my master and save my children, or I would perish in the attempt.†
Chpt 15

I had a woman's pride, and a mother's love for my children; and I resolved that out of the darkness of this hour a brighter dawn should rise for them.†
Chpt 15

I resolved to obey orders so far as duty required; but within myself, I determined to make my stay as short as possible.†
Chpt 16

I resolved to give him no cause to accuse me of being too much of a lady, so far as work was concerned.†
Chpt 16

But now that I was certain my children were to be put in their power, in order to give them a stronger hold on me, I resolved to leave them that night.†
Chpt 17

When I started upon this hazardous undertaking, I had resolved that, come what would, there should be no turning back.†
Chpt 18

Unwilling to alarm her mistress, Betty resolved to dispose of me herself.†
Chpt 18

I supposed he would call before he left, to say something to my grandmother concerning the children, and I resolved what course to take.†
Chpt 24

In order to make him believe that I was in New York, I resolved to write him a letter dated from that place.†
Chpt 25

I resolved, therefore, to continue to write letters from the north from time to time.†
Chpt 25

He had too often known such accidents to happen to slaves who had kind masters, and he wisely resolved to make sure of the present opportunity to own himself.†
Chpt 26

I resolved to remind him of the promise he had made me, and to throw myself upon his honor for the performance of it.†
Chpt 27

I resolved to go, but thought nothing had better be said to my grandmother till very near the time of departure.†
Chpt 29

I resolved to have an interview with him before I went, that I might give him cautions and advice, and tell him how anxiously I should be waiting for him at the north.†
Chpt 29

I promised the dear old faithful friend that I would write to her as soon as I arrived, and put the letter in a safe way to reach her; but in my own mind I resolved that not another cent of her hard earnings should be spent to pay rapacious slaveholders for what they called their property.†
Chpt 29

I staid a month after this, and finding I was resolved to stand up for my rights, they concluded to treat me well.†
Chpt 35

During the two years we had lived together I had often resolved to tell her something about her father; but I had never been able to muster sufficient courage.†
Chpt 39

I did this for my own sake, thinking my young mistress and her husband might be among the list; I wished also to give information to others, if necessary; for if many were "running to and fro," I resolved that "knowledge should be increased."†
Chpt 40

Definitions:

(1) (resolve as in: I resolved to stop drinking.)
to decide -- typically a firm or formal decision

In modern writing resolve is typically used to emphasize a firm or formal decision. In classic literature, it is used more frequently and often simply replaces decide or determine.
(2) (resolve as in: This committee hereby resolves...)
make a decision or voice an opinion by formal group vote
(3) (resolve as in: Her resolve weakened.)
firmness of purpose (strong determination to do something)
(4) (resolve as in: How was the problem resolved?)
to solve a problem, settle a disagreement, or for a situation to change
(5) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

Less commonly, resolve can mean:
- to make clearly visible -- as in "The microscope cannot resolve that level of detail."
- to divide into parts -- as in "The problem resolves into three parts,"or (math) "Resolve the polynomial into factors," or (chemistry) "As the temperature changes, the compound resolves into its component parts," or (physics) "The force on the inclined plane resolves into horizontal and vertical components."
- reduce or convert into something else -- as in "The URL is resolved to an IP address," or (music) "The progression is resolved as the dissonance is replaced by consonance."