resolver

See also: résolver and resòlver

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English resolve

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -āriusbor.

Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz

Proto-West Germanic *-ārī

Old English -ere

Middle English -ere

English -er

English resolver

From resolve + -er.

Noun

resolver (plural resolvers)

1. One who or that which resolves.

   Synonyms: solver, solvent; problemsolver

   Courts are resolvers of disputes.

   On the Internet, a DNS resolver maps domain names to IP addresses.

2. A device whose electrical output is proportional to the angular position of an object such as a rotor.

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin resolvere as if it were a first group verb. Compare the inherited résoudre.

Verb

resolver

1. (reflexive, se resolver) to resolve oneself; to become resolved
   • 1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine), page 156 of this essay:

     Fleume toumente fort car la matiere est moulte visqueuse et pour ce elle se resolve legierement et interpole petit car l’umeur est moult apre et l’est a putrefaction pour cause d’umidité.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-v, *-vs, *-vt are modified to f, s, t. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of resolver (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		resolver			avoir resolvé
gerund		en resolvant			gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle		resolvant
past participle		resolvé
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	il	nos	vos	il
simple tenses	present	resolf	resolves	resolve	resolvons	resolvez	resolvent
	imperfect	resolvoie, resolveie, resolvoe, resolveve	resolvoies, resolveies, resolvoes, resolveves	resolvoit, resolveit, resolvot, resolveve	resolviiens, resolviens	resolviiez, resolviez	resolvoient, resolveient, resolvoent, resolvevent
	preterite	resolvai	resolvas	resolva	resolvames	resolvastes	resolverent
	future	resolverai	resolveras	resolvera	resolverons	resolveroiz, resolvereiz, resolverez	resolveront
	conditional	resolveroie, resolvereie	resolveroies, resolvereies	resolveroit, resolvereit	resolveriiens, resolveriens	resolveriiez, resolveriez	resolveroient, resolvereient
compound tenses	present perfect	present tense of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect tense of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	preterite tense of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future tense of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional tense of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que jo	que tu	qu’il	que nos	que vos	qu’il
simple tenses	present	resolf	resols	resolt	resolvons	resolvez	resolvent
	imperfect	resolvasse	resolvasses	resolvast	resolvissons, resolvissiens	resolvissoiz, resolvissez, resolvissiez	resolvassent
compound tenses	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos	vos	–
		—	resolve	—	resolvons	resolvez	—

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin resolvere (“to release”), from re- (“again”) + solvō (“to loosen, to unbind”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁe.zowˈve(ʁ)/ [he.zoʊ̯ˈve(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁe.zowˈve(ʁ)/ [he.zoʊ̯ˈve(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ʁe.zowˈve(ɾ)/ [he.zoʊ̯ˈve(ɾ)]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ʁe.zowˈve(ʁ)/ [χe.zoʊ̯ˈve(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ʁe.zowˈve(ɻ)/ [he.zoʊ̯ˈve(ɻ)]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɨ.zolˈveɾ/ [ʁɨ.zoɫˈveɾ], /ʁɨ.zɔlˈveɾ/ [ʁɨ.zɔɫˈveɾ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɨ.zolˈveɾ/ [ʁɨ.zoɫˈveɾ], /ʁɨ.zɔlˈveɾ/ [ʁɨ.zɔɫˈveɾ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɨ.zolˈbeɾ/ [ʁɨ.zoɫˈβeɾ], /ʁɨ.zɔlˈbeɾ/ [ʁɨ.zɔɫˈβeɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɨ.zolˈve.ɾi/ [ʁɨ.zoɫˈve.ɾi], /ʁɨ.zɔlˈve.ɾi/ [ʁɨ.zɔɫˈve.ɾi]

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Audio (Portugal):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: re‧sol‧ver

Verb

resolver (first-person singular present resolvo, first-person singular preterite resolvi, past participle resolvido)

1. (transitive) to solve; to resolve (to find an answer or solution)

   Synonyms: decifrar, solucionar, solver

   Você conseguiu resolver o problema?

   Could you solve the problem?

2. (catenative) to decide [with infinitive ‘to do something’]

   Synonyms: decidir, deliberar, determinar, escolher

   Resolvi ir embora. ― I decided to leave.

3. (catenative, pronominal) to decide [with a (+ infinitive) ‘to do something’]

   Resolvi-me a ir embora. ― I decided to leave.

4. (transitive) to dissolve; to dissipate

   Synonyms: desfazer, dissipar, dissolver, solver

5. (transitive) to annul (to formally revoke the validity of)

   Synonyms: abolir, anular, desfazer, invalidar

6. (pronominal) to fade away
7. (pronominal) to consist [with em ‘in something’]

Conjugation

    Conjugation of resolver (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	resolver
Personal	resolver	resolveres	resolver	resolvermos	resolverdes	resolverem
Gerund
	resolvendo
Past participle
Masculine	resolvido			resolvidos
Feminine	resolvida			resolvidas
Indicative
Present	resolvo	resolves	resolve	resolvemos	resolveis	resolvem
Imperfect	resolvia	resolvias	resolvia	resolvíamos	resolvíeis	resolviam
Preterite	resolvi	resolveste	resolveu	resolvemos	resolvestes	resolveram
Pluperfect	resolvera	resolveras	resolvera	resolvêramos	resolvêreis	resolveram
Future	resolverei	resolverás	resolverá	resolveremos	resolvereis	resolverão
Conditional	resolveria	resolverias	resolveria	resolveríamos	resolveríeis	resolveriam
Subjunctive
Present	resolva	resolvas	resolva	resolvamos	resolvais	resolvam
Imperfect	resolvesse	resolvesses	resolvesse	resolvêssemos	resolvêsseis	resolvessem
Future	resolver	resolveres	resolver	resolvermos	resolverdes	resolverem
Imperative
Affirmative		resolve	resolva	resolvamos	resolvei	resolvam
Negative (não)		não resolvas	não resolva	não resolvamos	não resolvais	não resolvam

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:resolver.

Related terms

• resolubilidade
• resolução
• resolutamente
• resoluteza
• resolutivo
• resoluto
• resolutor
• resolutório
• resolúvel
• resolvedor
• resolvido
• resolvimento
• resolvível

Further reading

• “resolver”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “resolver”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Italic *wre-

Latin re-

Proto-Indo-European *s(w)éder.

Latin se-

Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-éti

Proto-Indo-European *luh₁éti

Proto-Italic [Term?]

Latin luō

Latin solvō

Latin resolvōlbor.

Old Spanish resolver

Spanish resolver

Inherited from Old Spanish resolver, a learned borrowing from Latin resolvō, -ere. Equivalent to re- +‎ solver. Cognate with English resolve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /resolˈbeɾ/ [re.solˈβ̞eɾ]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: re‧sol‧ver

Verb

resolver (first-person singular present resuelvo, first-person singular preterite resolví, past participle resuelto)

1. to resolve, sort out, settle, address, tackle, overcome, iron out

   Synonym: solver (archaic)

   Eso lo resuelve. ― That settles it.

2. to solve, figure out, work out, crack

   Synonym: solver (archaic)

3. to decide
4. to meet (e.g. demands, needs, requirements)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of resolver (irregular; o-ue alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			resolver
gerund			resolviendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		resuelto		resuelta
		plural		resueltos		resueltas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	resuelvo	resuelvestú resolvésvos	resuelve	resolvemos	resolvéis	resuelven
	imperfect	resolvía	resolvías	resolvía	resolvíamos	resolvíais	resolvían
	preterite	resolví	resolviste	resolvió	resolvimos	resolvisteis	resolvieron
	future	resolveré	resolverás	resolverá	resolveremos	resolveréis	resolverán
	conditional	resolvería	resolverías	resolvería	resolveríamos	resolveríais	resolverían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	resuelva	resuelvastú resolvásvos2	resuelva	resolvamos	resolváis	resuelvan
	imperfect (ra)	resolviera	resolvieras	resolviera	resolviéramos	resolvierais	resolvieran
	imperfect (se)	resolviese	resolvieses	resolviese	resolviésemos	resolvieseis	resolviesen
	future1	resolviere	resolvieres	resolviere	resolviéremos	resolviereis	resolvieren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		resuelvetú resolvévos	resuelva	resolvamos	resolved	resuelvan
	negative		no resuelvas	no resuelva	no resolvamos	no resolváis	no resuelvan

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of resolver (irregular; o-ue alternation)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive resolver	dative	resolverme	resolverte	resolverle, resolverse	resolvernos	resolveros	resolverles, resolverse
	accusative	resolverme	resolverte	resolverlo, resolverla, resolverse	resolvernos	resolveros	resolverlos, resolverlas, resolverse
with gerund resolviendo	dative	resolviéndome	resolviéndote	resolviéndole, resolviéndose	resolviéndonos	resolviéndoos	resolviéndoles, resolviéndose
	accusative	resolviéndome	resolviéndote	resolviéndolo, resolviéndola, resolviéndose	resolviéndonos	resolviéndoos	resolviéndolos, resolviéndolas, resolviéndose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative resuelve	dative	resuélveme	resuélvete	resuélvele	resuélvenos	not used	resuélveles
	accusative	resuélveme	resuélvete	resuélvelo, resuélvela	resuélvenos	not used	resuélvelos, resuélvelas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative resolvé	dative	resolveme	resolvete	resolvele	resolvenos	not used	resolveles
	accusative	resolveme	resolvete	resolvelo, resolvela	resolvenos	not used	resolvelos, resolvelas
with formal second-person singular imperative resuelva	dative	resuélvame	not used	resuélvale, resuélvase	resuélvanos	not used	resuélvales
	accusative	resuélvame	not used	resuélvalo, resuélvala, resuélvase	resuélvanos	not used	resuélvalos, resuélvalas
with first-person plural imperative resolvamos	dative	not used	resolvámoste	resolvámosle	resolvámonos	resolvámoos	resolvámosles
	accusative	not used	resolvámoste	resolvámoslo, resolvámosla	resolvámonos	resolvámoos	resolvámoslos, resolvámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative resolved	dative	resolvedme	not used	resolvedle	resolvednos	resolveos	resolvedles
	accusative	resolvedme	not used	resolvedlo, resolvedla	resolvednos	resolveos	resolvedlos, resolvedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative resuelvan	dative	resuélvanme	not used	resuélvanle	resuélvannos	not used	resuélvanles, resuélvanse
	accusative	resuélvanme	not used	resuélvanlo, resuélvanla	resuélvannos	not used	resuélvanlos, resuélvanlas, resuélvanse

Further reading

• “resolver”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025