solvent
/ˈsɒl.vənt/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Able to pay debts and meet financial obligations. A solvent person or business has enough money to continue operating.
- The company is still solvent.
- She wants a solvent business partner.
- The bank checked whether he was solvent.
noun
A liquid used to dissolve another substance, especially in chemistry or industry.
- Water is a common solvent.
- Paint thinner is a strong solvent.
- The solvent dissolved the stain quickly.
Adinary Nuance
Solvent is more specific than rich or wealthy. It means you can pay what you owe, even if you are not very rich. In chemistry, it is different from dissolve: the solvent is the liquid, while the other substance is what gets dissolved.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- có khả năng thanh toán
- Spanish
- solvente
- Chinese
- 有偿付能力的
- Japanese
- 支払い能力のある
- Korean
- 지급 능력이 있는
Etymology
From Latin solvens, present participle of solvere, meaning 'to loosen' or 'to pay'. It entered English in the 15th century, first in financial use and later in chemistry.
Common phrases
solvent companysolvent customerorganic solventremain solvent
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is solvent a formal word?
- Yes, it is fairly formal. People often use it in business, finance, and chemistry.
- What is the difference between solvent and rich?
- Rich means having a lot of money. Solvent means you can pay your debts.
- Is solvent used in science?
- Yes. In science, a solvent is a liquid that dissolves something else.
- What is the opposite of solvent?
- The opposite is insolvent. It means unable to pay debts.