flexibility

American  

[flek-suh-bil-i-tee] / ˌflɛk səˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

flexibilities plural

1. the ability to bend easily or without breaking.

   The shoe soles are made from elastic materials to provide perfect flexibility.

2. the quality of being easily adapted or of offering many different options.

   This blogging platform is becoming more and more popular because of its flexibility, power, and simplicity.

3. the ability and willingness to adjust one’s thinking or behavior.

   Being a resilient parent is all about flexibility.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hyperflexibility
  noun
• nonflexibility
  noun
• unflexibility
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flexibilities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of flexibility

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin flexibilitāt-, stem of flexibilitās, equivalent to flexibili(s) “pliant, easily bent” + -tās -ty ² ( def. ); see flexible ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does flexibility compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• adaptability vs. flexibility

Explanation

If you twist your body into the shape of a pretzel, you are showing a lot of flexibility. Flexibility is the ability to bend or stretch. Lots of things can have flexibility. Pipe cleaners are designed for flexibility. A piece of software can boast flexibility when it can be used in different ways by different people. If you are really busy with school, sports and activities, your schedule won't have much flexibility. Please don't get fixed on one set idea — show a little flexibility and listen to others.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flexibility flexibilities

Riot decided on a radical revamp of its policies to allow more flexibility, said Riot President Hoby Darling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Greater genetic flexibility could make the invasive species more resilient than previously assumed.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Even though retirees typically spend less overall as they age, Gomez-Cardona said they also have less flexibility, because a growing share of their spending goes toward necessities they cannot easily cut back on.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

He added that in the longer term, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which Greer tapped to propose duties on dozens of countries, provides "more flexibility than people realize."

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

They were sick of my pleas for more dietary flexibility.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

"These additional flexibilities are a limit, not a target. Decisions on council tax levels are for local authorities," she said.

From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026

“Without congressional action to reinstate telemedicine flexibilities, both beneficiaries and providers will continue to face disruptions in access to care, loss of critical services and wasted investments in telehealth infrastructure.”

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 24, 2026

LNG exporters are already lobbying hard for waivers or other flexibilities.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025

These flexibilities have been crucial, and we don't want to take a step backwards when it comes to modernization.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2024

A man might use all the words, of all the languages in all their flexibilities and never tell the whole truth of his own craft.

From Son of Power by Comfort, Will Levington

Related Words

• resilience