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.

---

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

“Deferral preserves financing flexibility, although schedule slippage, capital escalation and higher operating costs erode net present value,” Jefferies says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

For homeowners, affordability can be the flexibility to generate income from their property — a topic on which Bass and Raman have disagreed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

In that way, you would have a lower balance in your tax-deferred account, and you’d have more flexibility in later years to use that money tax-free.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

She said being self-employed in the beauty industry meant she had flexibility, but no financial safety net.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

“Easy for you to say. You human persons are always flip-flopping about. Changing this plan. Changing that plan. All that flexibility is simple for you.”

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

“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

Haigh said earlier this month that the government will look at "flexibilities" but insisted that "the mandate will not be weakened".

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 Will Levington Comfort

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• resilience

---