flexibility
flehk-sih-BIH-lih-tee
Flexibility (noun) means the physical ability to bend or stretch easily without damage. Example: “Dancers need great flexibility in their legs and back.”
noun
1
The physical ability to bend or stretch easily without damage.
"Dancers need great flexibility in their legs and back."
"Stretching each morning helped him regain his flexibility."
"Yoga improves flexibility in the hips and spine."
2
The ability to adapt or change easily to suit new situations.
"Good managers show flexibility when plans change at the last minute."
"The tour needs some flexibility, since the weather is unpredictable."
"The job offers flexibility over when and where you work."
How to use flexibility
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBeing easy to bend, physically, or easy to adapt, in plans and behaviour.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
physical flexibility
workplace flexibility
flexibility of schedule
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Word forms
- Plural
- flexibilities
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Dancers need great _____ in their legs and back.
Etymology
From French flexibilite, ultimately from Latin flectere ("to bend").
Synonyms
View more →
suppleness
pliability
elasticity
adaptability
versatility
limberness
tractableness
tractability
flexibleness
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for flexibility
See all rhymes for flexibility →Frequently asked questions
What does “flexibility” mean?
The word “flexibility” means the physical ability to bend or stretch easily without damage. In plain terms, being easy to bend, physically, or easy to adapt, in plans and behaviour.
How do you pronounce “flexibility”?
“Flexibility” is pronounced flehk-sih-BIH-lih-tee (/ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/ in IPA).
How do you use “flexibility” in a sentence?
Here is “flexibility” used in a sentence: “Yoga improves flexibility in the hips and spine.”
What part of speech is “flexibility”?
“Flexibility” is a noun.
Where does the word “flexibility” come from?
The word “flexibility” comes from Latin. From French flexibilite, ultimately from Latin flectere ("to bend").
Is “flexibility” a common word?
“Flexibility” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “flexibility” have?
“Flexibility” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the physical ability to bend or stretch easily without damage.
What is the difference between flexibility and mobility?
In fitness, flexibility is the ability of muscles and other soft tissue to stretch, letting the body bend easily without damage, while mobility is the ability to move a joint actively through its full range of motion. You can have flexible muscles yet still lack the strength and control that good mobility requires.
What is the difference between flexibility and adaptability?
Adaptability is specifically the capacity to adjust to new conditions, while flexibility covers both the physical ability to bend without damage and the ability to change easily to suit new situations. When describing people, the two words largely overlap: a flexible person is an adaptable one.
What is the adjective form of flexibility?
The adjective form of flexibility is "flexible," meaning able to bend without damage or able to adapt easily to change. The adverb is "flexibly," and the opposites are "inflexible" and "inflexibility."
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