All 5 Uses

resolve
in
Along for the Ride
(Auto-generated)

There would be a small dustup—sharp words, a banged pot lid—but then it would seem resolved … at least until about ten or eleven, when suddenly I'd hear them start in again about the same issue.
Chpt 1

resolved = settled or solved
When he saw Heidi, and she looked back at him, I knew instantly their argument from the night before had not been resolved.
Chpt 5 *

resolved = settled
I'd long ago resolved to be cordial but not overly so, lest I be sucked into some conversation about what celebrity was in rehab or strap versus strapless dresses.
Chpt 6 *

resolved = decided
"—will finally be resolved, one way or another," Esther finished.
Chpt 17

resolved = settled or solved
It was enough to know they had them, and that they were Big and Unresolved.†
Chpt 14

unresolved = not settled or solved

standard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unresolved means not and reverses the meaning of resolved. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.

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."