Solving

How to spell solving

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce solving

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does solving mean?

1. verbFinding the answer to a problem or working out the explanation for something.

Solving in a sentence

• She enjoys solving crossword puzzles on the train home.

• The engineer spent the morning solving a fault in the wiring.

Where does solving come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin verb solvere, which literally meant 'to loosen, untie, or release', formed from the prefix se- (meaning 'apart') and luere (meaning 'to loosen or pay'). In Latin the sense ranged from physically unbinding something to discharging a debt, and from there it grew into the idea of clearing up a difficulty or answering a question. English borrowed 'solve' in the late Middle Ages, originally with the financial sense of paying off what was owed, before settling into the modern meaning of working out an answer. The same Latin root survives in close relatives such as 'dissolve' (to loosen apart) and 'absolve' (to loosen free from blame). The present participle 'solving' simply adds the -ing ending; the spelling trap is remembering the single -v- before -ing rather than doubling it, since the silent -e of 'solve' is dropped, not preserved.

How the word is built

• solv- (from Latin solvere: to loosen, release)
• -ing (present participle/gerund suffix)