agility
Americannoun
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the power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness.
exercises demanding agility.
-
the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly; intellectual acuity.
Etymology
Origin of agility
1375–1425; late Middle English agilite < Middle French < Latin agilitās. See agile, -ity
Explanation
Agility is the ability to be quick and graceful. You might have agility on the basketball court or in the courtroom, or even with your gaming remote. The noun agility can be used for both mental and physical skills in speed and grace. Your mental agility might allow you to follow both conversations at once. Or your brother's soccer prowess shows in his physical agility. The word agility does not have to be applied to human abilities, however: "The sailboat's agility in the water made it the perfect craft for racing."
Vocabulary lists containing agility
Physical Education - Introductory
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We view any potential outsized moves as sentiment-driven, not fundamental. At most, it reinforces Moderna’s mRNA platform agility, something already well understood post-COVID.”
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
Artist Matthew Thomas shows how the traditions of Buddhism and Black American abstraction both provide a sense of freedom and agility of faith.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
The Korean wolf, as described in an American newspaper in 1916, sports "piercing eyes" and "wonderful agility".
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
What matters isn’t whether a place can avoid all risk, but whether it has the institutional depth, policy agility and economic diversification to recover quickly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
The unbelievable agility, the split-second timing the brothers are putting on display announces the culmination of the fast-dancing segment of the party.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
