flexible
Americanadjective
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Also: flexile. able to be bent easily without breaking; pliable
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adaptable or variable
flexible working hours
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able to be persuaded easily; tractable
Related Words
Flexible, limber, pliant refer to that which bends easily. Flexible refers to that which is capable of being bent and adds sometimes the idea of compressibility or expansibility: a flexible piece of rubber hose. Limber is especially applied to the body to refer to ease of movement; it resembles flexible except that there is an idea of even greater ease in bending: a limber dancer. Pliant stresses an inherent quality or tendency to bend that does not require force or pressure from the outside; it may mean merely adaptable or may have a derogatory sense: a pliant character.
Other Word Forms
- flexibility noun
- flexibleness noun
- flexibly adverb
- hyperflexible adjective
- hyperflexibleness noun
- hyperflexibly adverb
- nonflexible adjective
- nonflexibleness noun
- nonflexibly adverb
- unflexible adjective
- unflexibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of flexible
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin flexibilis “pliant, easily bent”; flex 1, -ible
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a recent study published in Polymers, researchers created a thin, flexible film using calcium caseinate, a commercially available form of casein, the primary protein found in milk.
From Science Daily
The microbe, Methanosarcina acetivorans, appears to function normally despite this flexible interpretation, demonstrating that life can operate with a slightly imprecise code.
From Science Daily
Converting natural gas into flexible chemical intermediates could expand industrial options and gradually decrease reliance on traditional petrochemical feedstocks.
From Science Daily
The company said it would have more flexible criteria under which accounts are referred to law enforcement agencies.
“It’s about financial help, flexible work, tax breaks, but also connecting with other caregivers. A lot of people feel that support isn’t there for them today, and it makes them feel very alone.”
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
