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

Although a possession-based coach, Alonso has shown the flexibility and intelligence to look for solutions against man-to-man pressure.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

“When you’ve got five kids, and usually a houseful of friends hanging out, flexibility is imperative.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 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

“The big idea here is to give the president and the secretary the most flexibility, and the force the most options to present to them,” Votel said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Perhaps the supreme example of Jefferson’s greater flexibility occurred on the foreign policy front.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

“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

To win over the staunchest sceptics, Tuesday's talks will cover a range of "flexibilities" for member states, including letting countries count carbon credits purchased to finance projects outside Europe.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025

There are flexibilities in the system, allowing manufacturers who can’t meet the targets to buy "credits" from those that can.

From BBC ● Nov. 26, 2024

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