Meaning & use
solution
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Meanings
nouncountable
A way of dealing with a problem so that it is no longer a problem.
Grammar: Often followed by to: a solution to the problem.
Patterns
- a solution to something
- find a solution
We need a solution to the traffic problem.
The engineers found a simple solution.
There is no easy solution to poverty.
nouncountable or uncountablechemistry
A liquid in which a substance has been dissolved to form an even mixture.
Grammar: Chemistry: a salt solution.
Patterns
- a solution of something in something
She dissolved sugar to make a sugar solution.
The nurse prepared a saline solution.
A weak acid solution cleaned the pipe.
nouncountablemathematics
The correct answer to a puzzle or mathematical problem, or the value that makes an equation true.
Grammar: Math: the solution of an equation.
Patterns
- the solution to an equation
- the solution of a puzzle
The solution to the equation is x equals four.
Check your solutions at the back of the book.
She finally worked out the solution to the riddle.
noununcountableformal
The act of working out the answer to something.
Grammar: Formal; often with of.
Patterns
- the solution of a problem
The solution of the case took years.
Teamwork helped in the solution of the crisis.
Quick solution of the puzzle won the prize.
nouncountablebusiness
A product or service sold by a business to meet a customer's need.
Grammar: Business jargon.
Patterns
- software solution
The firm sells cloud storage solutions.
They offer a complete security solution.
Our packaging solutions reduce waste.
Word forms
| plural | solutions |
|---|
Common combinations
- find a solution
- We must find a solution before Friday.
- offer a solution
- The report offers a solution.
- quick fix solution
- A quick fix solution rarely lasts.
- saline solution
- Rinse the contact lens with saline solution.
- solution to a problem
- The solution to the problem was patience.
- long-term solution
- We need a long-term solution.
Synonyms and how they differ
- answer
- Answer is the plain word and can be any reply, while solution means a fix for a problem.
- remedy
- Remedy suggests a cure for something wrong.
- fix
- Fix is informal and often temporary.
- resolution
- Resolution means the settling of a dispute or a firm decision.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: solution or solving? solution or resolution?
solution vs solving
Solving is the act; solution is the result.
solution vs resolution
A resolution is a decision or a settlement, while a solution is a fix.
Practice
Salt dissolved in water forms a ___.
Choose one answer.
The whole mixture is called a solution. The solute is the salt and the solvent is the water, while a suspension has undissolved particles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “solution”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.