Resolve

Etymology

From Latin "resolvere" (to loosen, untie, dissolve), from "re-" (again, back) plus "solvere" (to loosen) — the same root as "solve" and "dissolve." The irony is sharp: a word rooted in loosening now names firmness. The bridge is mental: to "resolve" a question is to break it down and settle it, and from that settling came the sense of a mind firmly made up.

noun · /ri-ZOLV/
Firm determination to do something and see it through.
What it names
Use it for settled, forward-set will — the steadiness of purpose that persists after the initial motivation fades.
Example
Her resolve held even when the funding fell through and the advisers told her to quit.
Related idea
Determination and resolve are close, but resolve emphasizes the decisive moment of settling on a course, then holding it; perseverance emphasizes the grinding continuation once resolve is in place.
verb · /ri-ZOLV/
To settle or find a solution to a problem or dispute; to decide firmly.
What it names
the act of settling or deciding something
Example
They met to resolve the dispute before it reached court.
Related idea
The noun is the firmness; the verb is the settling. In optics, to ‘resolve’ is to make fine detail distinct.