Resolvables

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Entities capable of being determined or solved; items subject to resolution or clarification; elements that can be identified or fixed through analysis
2. Objects or problems suitable for solution or interpretation; things that can be settled or made clear; components that yield to definitive answers or outcomes
3. Aspects or matters that allow for conclusive determination; issues or units amenable to decision or explanation; subjects that can be made clear or resolved through inquiry

Etymology: "Resolvables" is simply the plural of "resolvable," which means something that can be determined, solved, or clarified. The word is built from "resolve" plus the suffix "-able," so the history of the whole term runs through the history of its two parts. "Resolve" traces back to the Latin "resolvere," meaning to loosen, untie, or dissolve, from "re-" (back, again) and "solvere" (to loosen). That physical sense of unbinding gave rise to the later idea of breaking a problem apart into its parts until its nature becomes clear. The suffix "-able" comes from Latin "-abilis," which passed through Old French "-able" into Middle English, and it denotes capacity or possibility: something that can be done to it. Put together, a resolvable thing is one that can be loosened and untangled, whether that is a knot, a dispute, or a puzzle. The plural form simply refers to several such items at once.

Synonyms: solvables, answerables, settleable

Antonyms: insolvables, unsolvable, unresolvable