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I would prefer a positive connotation.

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7 Answers 7

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A term that implies a permanent solution is:

A resolution

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    Could you include a definition with a reference that substantiates your claim here? To me, a resolution is more like a statement of intent, that may or may not actually be carried out. A solution is a fix- it solves a problem, whereas a resolution is only a vow to take some action.
    – Jim
    Jun 12, 2014 at 4:18
  • A problem is resolved when not only is there a solution, but also when that solution is applied. This is not the same usage of resolve as, for example, used when discussing the UN or a determined person.
    – diwhyyyyy
    Jun 12, 2014 at 9:03
  • @Jim OED> "IV. Solving, answering, formal declaration, and related senses. 14. a. (a) The action or an act of finding the answer to a question, the solution to a problem, etc.; the elimination or easing of doubt. Also: the fact of such an answer, solution, etc., having been found."
    – Araucaria - Him
    Jun 12, 2014 at 13:16
  • @Araucaria I kind of feel the same way Jim does. Of course it implies a solution has been applied, but it does not really express permanence of the solution at all.
    – rschwieb
    Jun 12, 2014 at 13:26
  • @rschwieb Do you mean Jim or Inductiveload?
    – Araucaria - Him
    Jun 12, 2014 at 13:55
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Yes, solution. Anything else is a stop-gap, or a patch, or a temporary solution. The word solution only needs to be qualified to specify when it is not a permanent one. If it is, you just call it a solution.

Take, for example, this definition from Merriam Webster (emphasis mine):

so·lu·tion

: something that is used or done to deal with and end a problem : something that solves a problem

: the act of solving something

: a correct answer to a problem, puzzle, etc.

There is nothing that implies that a solution is not permanent. Quite the contrary, a solution is always permanent unless otherwise specified.

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4

A permanent solution is said to be definitive:

serving to supply a final answer, solution, or evaluation and to end an unsettled unresolved condition

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panacea can have this connotation. Although it really means a solution to all ills, in practice, it tends to mean a comprehensive solution to a problem, e.g. "A panacea for our IT problems".

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    In real life, whatever is touted as a panacea never is, meaning you'll need to find another solution later, which means in practice it is not permanent.
    – choster
    Jun 12, 2014 at 15:01
  • It's true that the term is sometimes used ironically, but it's not exclusively used that way.
    – drunkenwagoner
    Jun 12, 2014 at 23:45
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I have heard this phrased used in comp. sci and programming.

Canonical Solution

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    Canonical refers to "most correct" and may not be "most permanent" however.
    – choster
    Jun 12, 2014 at 15:08
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You could go Latin, it sends the message better. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/immutabilis#Latin

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In the mathematics, science and other disciplines, a permanent solution is a "proof"

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  • Hmm. A proof substantiates a theory. I don't think it's necessarily the same as a solution, which is in response to a problem.
    – JHCL
    Oct 21, 2015 at 8:40

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