Insoluble

Insoluble describes something that cannot be dissolved in a particular solvent, most commonly water. It can also refer to a problem or situation that cannot be solved or explained, a state of being incapable of solution. Furthermore, it implies something that cannot be broken down or analyzed; a concept might be deemed insoluble due to its inherent complexity or the lack of available tools to understand it. The word often suggests an enduring, intractable characteristic, whether applied to a chemical compound, a legal dispute, or a philosophical enigma. Its meaning, therefore, encompasses the literal, the figurative, and the abstract.

Insoluble meaning with examples

• The chemist added the powder to the water, but it remained insoluble, stubbornly settling at the bottom of the beaker. Despite rigorous stirring and heating, the substance refused to integrate into the liquid, remaining unchanged, an insoluble residue. This lack of dissolution made it unsuitable for the intended experiment which needed the compound in solution form.
• The detective found the mystery presented an insoluble puzzle. Each new piece of evidence seemed to contradict the last, creating more questions than answers. The motive, the means, and the opportunity all remained elusive; the case seemed a closed book. No amount of investigation, it appeared, would unravel this insoluble web of events.
• Many philosophical questions, like the existence of free will, remain largely insoluble to this day. Throughout history, countless thinkers have grappled with them, and yet no definitive answers have emerged. These complex debates require a level of abstraction that makes achieving consensus, if not resolution, near impossible, rendered forever insoluble to our finite minds.
• The legal team faced an insoluble conflict of interest during the trial. Because of prior relationships, none of them could ethically represent the client, trapping everyone involved in a stalemate. The judge was forced to declare a mistrial; the matter was hopelessly tangled in ethical and procedural difficulties, rendering resolution impossible.