means A substance, usually liquid, that dissolves another to form a solution — or, in finance, the state of having enough assets to pay your debts.

from From Latin solvere, 'to loosen, release, untie' — the same root that gives us 'solve,' 'dissolve,' and 'absolve.' The present participle solvens meant 'loosening,' and the chemical and financial senses both keep that core idea: a solvent loosens solids into solution, while a solvent person has loosened the grip of their debts. Solvere itself is thought to combine se- ('apart') with luere ('to release, pay'), so the loosening was baked in from the very start.