insoluble

From Middle English insolible, from Middle French insoluble, from Latin insolūbilis, from in- +‎ solūbilis.^[1] Piecewise doublet of insolvable and unsolvable. By surface analysis, in- +‎ soluble.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈsɒljʊbəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈsɑljəbəl/

• Audio (US):

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insoluble (comparative more insoluble, superlative most insoluble)

1. (physical chemistry) That cannot be dissolved.

   Synonyms: indissoluble, undissolvable

   Antonyms: soluble, dissoluble, dissolvable

   Petroleum is largely insoluble in water.

2. That cannot be solved.

   Synonyms: insolvable, unsolvable

   Antonyms: soluble, solvable

   • 2024, Jeremy B. Rudd, A Practical Guide to Macroeconomics, p. 3

     The reason Fisher concluded that the problem is likely insoluble is that the ability of real-world agents to act on new perceived opportunities of arbitrage – including those that turn out to be incorrect – makes stability impossible to demonstrate without additional strong (and unrealistic) assumptions.

3. That cannot be explained.

   Synonyms: inexplicable, unexplainable

   Antonyms: soluble, solvable

   Near-synonyms: unexplained, mysterious; see also Thesaurus:incomprehensible, Thesaurus:mysterious

4. That cannot be broken down or dispersed.

   Synonyms: indissoluble, undissolvable

   Antonyms: soluble, dissoluble, dissolvable

insoluble (plural insolubles)

1. Any substance that cannot be dissolved.
   • 2006, Ashok Pandey, Enzyme Technology, page 518:

     As there is a partial vacuum inside the drum, the liquid is sucked inside the drum and the insolubles are deposited on the outer surface of the membrane filter.

Borrowed from Latin īnsolūbilis.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [in.suˈlub.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [in.soˈlu.ble]

insoluble m or f (masculine and feminine plural insolubles)

1. insoluble
2. unsolvable

• “insoluble”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “insoluble”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “insoluble” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “insoluble” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Learned borrowing from Latin īnsolūbilis.

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.sɔ.lybl/

• Audio:

  (file)

insoluble (plural insolubles)

1. (chemistry) insoluble

   Antonym: soluble

2. insoluble

   Antonym: soluble

   une énigme insoluble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   un problème insoluble ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• insolvable

• “insoluble”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

From Latin īnsolūbilis.

• IPA^(key): /insoˈluble/ [ĩn.soˈlu.β̞le]
• Rhymes: -uble
• Syllabification: in‧so‧lu‧ble

insoluble m or f (masculine and feminine plural insolubles)

1. insoluble
2. unsolvable

• “insoluble”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024