soluble

soluble — adjective

1. A soluble substance can dissolve in a liquid, breaking down into its smallest pa

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

A soluble substance can dissolve in a liquid, breaking down into its smallest parts and mixing evenly with it.

Example

Sugar is soluble in water, but oil is not.

pattern: be soluble in [liquid]

Vitamin C is highly soluble, so the body absorbs it quickly.

collocation: highly soluble

Common collocations
  • soluble in
  • water-soluble
  • fat-soluble
  • highly soluble
  • slightly soluble
  • soluble fibre
  • soluble powder
  • soluble tablet
Synonyms
  • dissolvable

    less technical than soluble; focuses on the physical process of dissolving

  • miscible

    technical term for liquids that mix in any proportion; does not apply to solids or gases

Antonyms
  • insoluble

    the direct opposite; cannot be dissolved in a given liquid

Grammar Patterns

be soluble in [liquid]

Usage Note

Typically followed by in to specify the liquid (e.g., soluble in water, soluble in alcohol). The opposite is insoluble. The comparative and superlative forms are rare — solubility is usually treated as a binary property.

Common Mistakes

The sugar dissolved soluble in water.
The sugar is soluble in water.
soluble is an adjective, not a verb; the verb form is dissolve.
This material is soluble by heat.
This material dissolves when heated.' or 'This material is soluble in hot water.
use in, not by, to name the liquid.

2. A problem, difficulty, or mystery that is soluble can be resolved or figured out

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

A problem, difficulty, or mystery that is soluble can be resolved or figured out successfully.

Example

The political dispute turned out to be less soluble than experts had hoped.

figurative: dispute as subject

Maeve told her students that every maths problem was soluble with enough patience.

soluble with [condition]

Common collocations
  • soluble problem
  • soluble mystery
  • soluble question
  • soluble difficulty
  • easily soluble
  • perfectly soluble
Synonyms
  • solvable

    the more common everyday word for problems that can be solved

  • resolvable

    slightly more formal; often used for disputes, conflicts, or dilemmas

  • fixable

    informal; used for practical problems or mechanical issues

Antonyms
  • insoluble

    also used figuratively; e.g., an insoluble mystery or insoluble conflict

  • unsolvable

    more common in everyday English for problems with no solution

Grammar Patterns

be soluble

Usage Note

This figurative sense is much less common than the chemical sense. It is most often found in formal or academic writing. Typical subjects are problem, mystery, difficulty, question, dispute, or case.

Common Mistakes

The problem is dissolvable.
The problem is soluble.
dissolvable refers only to physical substances; use soluble for abstract issues.
The issue is very soluble.
The issue is perfectly soluble.' or 'The issue is easily solved.
intensify with adverbs like easily or perfectly, not very.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words describe different ways a substance can change when combined with something else. Soluble is the standard scientific term for a substance that dissolves in a liquid to form a solution — it covers solids, gases, and some liquids. Dissolvable overlaps with soluble but focuses more on the physical process and is less common in formal chemistry writing; a dissolvable tablet is one you drop in water, while a soluble salt is a chemical property. Meltable is a frequent point of confusion: a meltable solid becomes liquid by heat, whereas a soluble solid mixes with a liquid at the molecular level without changing temperature. Miscible is a narrower technical term used only for liquids that mix in any proportion (water and alcohol are miscible; oil and water are not). For everyday use, choose soluble for chemical contexts, dissolvable for practical products, and meltable only when heat is involved.

soluble ↗dissolvablemeltablemiscible

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin solubilis, meaning 'that can be loosened or dissolved,' from the verb solvere 'to loosen, untie, set free, solve.' The chemical sense entered English in the 17th century, while the figurative sense ('capable of being solved') appeared around the same time. The root solvere is also the source of solve, solution, dissolve, and solvent.