A measurement of the detail-recording ability of photographic materials.

Ability of film, lens or both together to reproduce fine detail.

resolvere, to loosen, unbind] A measure of the clarity of an image; the minimum distance that two points can be separated and still be distinguished as two separate points.

An expression of lens definition, usually stated as the maximum number of lines per millimeter that can be resolved (i.e., seen as separate lines) in the image. The resolving power of the lens varies with the contrast of the test chart and normally varies also with the orientation and position of the chart within the field.

closest distance between two points at which each can be seen separately, using naked eye or a a magnifier.

the ability of a telescope to detect very small details and produce sharp images. It depends on the diameter of the telescope's objective or the interferometer AND the wavelength of light used to observe, such that the more wavelengths that can be fit across the objective or interferometer, the sharper the image will be.

The resolving power, or resolution, of a rifle scope is the capability to sharply reproduce, point for point, details of the object at a distance.

the ability of a microscope or telescope to measure the angular separation of images that are close together

The photographic system ability to maintain, in the developed images, the separate identity of parallel bars when their relative displacement is small.

The ability (of an instrument, the eye, etc.) to resolve the images of two points.  The closer the points are together, the higher the resolving power required.  Resolving power is measured by the angle subtended between the two points and the eye or instrument.  The eye can resolve two points subtended by an angle of 100 seconds.

An instrument's ability to resolve (see resolution).

The capability of an optical system to separate the images of two closely situated points in the object space.

The ability of a lens to optically reproduce fine detail.

Of an optical device such as a microscope, the smallest distance between two lines that allows the lines to be seen as separate from one another.

The ability of a telescope to distinguish between close, but separate, objects or features.

The ability to focus a microscope to see points or lines that are closely adjacent on an object or in an image.

A measure of the ability of individual components and of remote sensing systems to define closely spaced targets.

The ability of a telescope to separate, or split, objects that are close together.

The ability of an optical system to separate adjacent points and lines in the image and to show fine detail of the target.

The ability of an experimental technique to distinguish between two genetic conditions (typically discussed when one condition is rare and of particular interest).

the property of an instrument to distinguish distinct objects that are near to each other. The greater the resolving power, the smaller the minimum distance at which two objects can be distinguished.

The shortest possible distance at which two points can still be separated from one another on a photographic medium. In other words, resolving power is a measure of the capacity of the process to reproduce fine details (cf. acutance and definition).

The ability of the microscope to make visible the individual parts of an image [R = λ/(2 N.A.)].

The ability of a telescope to reveal fine detail. Depends on the diameter of the telescope.

ability of the eye, lens or photographic emulsion to determine fine detail. In photography, the quality of the final image is a result of the resolving power of both the lens and the sensitive emulsion. Resolution is expressed in terms of lines per millimeter which are distinctly recorded or visually separable in the final image.