resolving power

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

resolv′ing pow′er, 

1. Optics the ability of an optical device to produce separate images of close objects.
2. Photography the degree to which a lens or photographic emulsion is able to define the details of an image.
• 1875–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

resolving power noun

1. Also called: resolution the ability of a microscope, telescope, or other optical instrument to produce separate images of closely placed objects
2. the ability of an emulsion to show up fine detail in an image