All 9 Uses of

resolve

in

Up From Slavery: An Autobiography

At that time those cakes seemed to me to be absolutely the most tempting and desirable things that I had ever seen; and I then and there resolved that, if I ever got free, the height of my ambition would be reached if I could get to the point where I could secure and eat ginger-cakes in the way that I saw those ladies doing.
Chpt 1

resolved = decided

Years ago I resolved that because I had no ancestry myself I would leave a record of which my children would be proud, and which might encourage them to still higher effort.
Chpt 2

There was never a time in my youth, no matter how dark and discouraging the days might be, when one resolve did not continually remain with me, and that was a determination to secure an education at any cost.
Chpt 2 *

resolve = determination (firmness of purpose to do something)

I resolved at once to go to that school, although I had no idea where it was, or how many miles away, or how I was going to reach it; I remembered only that I was on fire constantly with one ambition, and that was to go to Hampton.
Chpt 3

resolved = decided

I felt that I had reached the promised land, and I resolved to let no obstacle prevent me from putting forth the highest effort to fit myself to accomplish the most good in the world.
Chpt 3

From the first, I resolved to make the school a real part of the community in which it was located.
Chpt 9

It is now long ago that I learned this lesson from General Armstrong, and resolved that I would permit no man, no matter what his colour might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.
Chpt 11 *

More than once, just before I was to make an important address, this nervous strain has been so great that I have resolved never again to speak in public.
Chpt 15

At the end of his visit I resolved anew to devote myself more earnestly than ever to the cause which was so near his heart.
Chpt 17

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)
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."