labile

American  

[ley-bahyl, -buhl] / ˈleɪ baɪl, -bəl /

adjective

1. apt or likely to change.

   the labile nature of language.

2. (in chemistry, biology, psychiatry, etc.) able or likely to change or break down easily, rapidly, or continually; unstable.

   labile emotions;

   labile blood pressure;

   cellular functions that seem to require different levels of labile zinc.

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labile British  

/ ˈleɪbɪl, ləˈbɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. chem (of a compound) prone to chemical change

2. liable to change or move

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lability
  noun

Etymology

Origin of labile

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English labil “(of the mind) wandering, forgetful,” from Latin lābilis “sliding, slipping, (of verse) smooth-flowing,” equivalent to Latin lāb(ī) “to slip” + -ilis -ile

Explanation

Labile is an adjective used to describe something that is easily or frequently changed. Radioactive elements, such as uranium or plutonium, are labile. It is this lability that makes them unstable and dangerous. From the Latin verb lābī, "to slide or slip," labile is often found in a technical context, especially in science, to refer to some sort of instability. For example, in chemistry, a compound that can be easily broken down by heat is called labile. The term can also be used in psychology to describe someone who is emotionally unstable.

Example Sentences

Someone with high IIV might be considered an emotionally labile person.

From Scientific American • Apr. 5, 2023

Peretti’s brief but labile turn as Cellsea builds on her long-running Brooklyn Nine-Nine character Gina, a too-online savant who is equal parts whiny boredom and brazen hyper-confidence.

From Slate • Nov. 19, 2019

He’s reactive rather than active, a labile, intensely emotional man who is shredded by his own inability to discern what’s real.

From The New Yorker • May 29, 2017

Mr. Bowie’s voice was similarly labile — gliding between ragged cackle and haunting croon as he sang about decaying cities and alienated rock stars.

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2016

When the adrenals fail, as they do readily in these labile adrenocentrics, it is as if the adrenals were cut out of the body.

From The Glands Regulating Personality by Berman, Louis, M.D.