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dissolve

/dɪˈzɑːlv//dɪˈzɒlv/·verb
for a solid to break down into a liquid, or for something to be formally ended
Fig. 1 — A sugar cube drops into a tall glass and settles at the bottom with clean, square edges.
01Definition

To dissolve is for a solid to break apart into a liquid until it disappears into it — sugar dissolves in water — or, by extension, for something to fade out or be formally ended (a marriage, a company, a parliament is dissolved). From the Latin dissolvere, 'to loosen apart', from solvere 'to loosen', the root of solve and solvent. A substance dissolves when its particles separate and spread evenly through the liquid — the reverse of what happens when droplets coalesce. Governments dissolve; tension dissolves; a crowd can dissolve into laughter.

02In use
  • iStir until the salt dissolves completely and the water turns clear again.
  • iiParliament was dissolved, and a general election was called for the spring.
  • iiiHer resolve dissolved the moment she saw how many people had shown up.
03Collocations
  • dissolve in water
  • dissolve parliament
  • dissolve a marriage / company
  • dissolve into (tears / laughter)
  • readily dissolve

Family dissolution (noun) · dissolved (adjective) · soluble (adjective) · solvent (noun)

04Relations

=disintegrate, melt, break down, liquefy, disband

≠coalesce, solidify, crystallize

05Compared
PairThe difference
dissolve vs amalgamateseveral organizations merged into one whole → amalgamate; a body loosened apart until it no longer stands (or a solid melting into liquid) → dissolve.
dissolve vs assemblefit parts together, or gather people into a body → assemble; break a solid down into liquid, or formally end a body → dissolve.
dissolve vs blendmix two or more things into one uniform whole → blend; break one solid down into a liquid, or formally end a body → dissolve.
dissolve vs clustergather into a tight, dense bunch → cluster; break a solid down into liquid, or formally end a body → dissolve.
dissolve vs coalesceseparate things grow together into one whole → coalesce; break one solid down into liquid, or formally end a body → dissolve.

Also compared with combine, come together, congregate, consolidate, dilute, disband, disperse, dissipate, diverge, divide, fuse, gather, integrate, join, merge, scatter, separate, split, unite

06TOEFL & IELTS

Dissolve spans three senses exam writing uses: the chemistry sense (a solid dissolves in a liquid — core Task 1 process vocabulary, often near soluble and solution); the legal or political sense (a parliament, marriage or company is dissolved — formal and comfortable in the passive); and the figurative (tension dissolved, she dissolved into tears). The noun is dissolution, never 'dissolvement'. Mind the spelling — two s's — and the vowel: British /ɒ/ against American /ɑː/.

07Asked
What does it mean to dissolve parliament?
Dissolving parliament formally ends its current term so a general election can be held: the legislature is closed and every seat falls vacant. In the UK, dissolution happens about 25 working days before polling day, and the government carries on only in a limited caretaker role until a new parliament is elected. It is the political cousin of the chemical sense — a body loosened apart until it no longer stands.
Is 'dissolved' spelled with one s or two?
Two s's throughout: dissolve, dissolves, dissolving, dissolved. It is a regular verb, so the past tense simply adds -ed to the base, with no doubling of the v. The double s belongs to the prefix — dis- joined to solve — which is the spot most people slip on. The noun dissolution keeps both s's as well.
Is dissolving a physical change or a chemical change?
Dissolving is normally a physical change, not a chemical one: the sugar or salt breaks into particles and spreads through the water, but it is still sugar or salt and can be recovered by evaporating the liquid. No new substance forms. In the scene above, the cube loses its shape into the water rather than turning into something else — and that process is reversible.
What is the difference between dissolve and melt?
Melting needs only heat: a solid turns to liquid on its own when it gets warm enough (ice melts to water). Dissolving needs a second substance — a liquid to break into and spread through (sugar dissolves in water, it does not melt at room temperature). Melt is about temperature; dissolve is about a solid disappearing into a solvent.
What is the noun form of dissolve?
The noun is dissolution (/ˌdɪsəˈluːʃn/), not 'dissolvement', which is not standard English. Dissolution fits every sense: the dissolution of a substance, of a parliament, of a marriage, of a company. A second noun, solution, names the result of the dissolving itself — the mixture left once something has dissolved — and the adjective for 'able to dissolve' is soluble.
What are some synonyms for dissolve?
It depends on the sense. For a solid breaking down in a liquid: disintegrate, break down, liquefy. For formally ending a group: disband, terminate, wind up. For fading away: melt away, evaporate, vanish. Because these do not overlap, choose by meaning — you cannot 'liquefy' a parliament or 'disband' a sugar cube.