flexibility

American  

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

noun

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

• hyperflexibility noun
• nonflexibility noun
• unflexibility noun

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. ); flexible ( def. )

Compare meaning

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

• adaptability vs. flexibility

Example Sentences

That includes higher aircraft utilization during peak days while reducing off-peak flying, as well as the flexibility to adjust to seasonal demand, it said.

From MarketWatch

Altogether, the moves actually save money for the Dolphins and give them added flexibility.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Such arrangements underpin the kind of 'one-sided flexibility' that leaves over a million workers unsure how many hours they will work or how much money they will earn next week," he said.

From BBC

SRG gave us the flexibility to deploy officers around the city on short notice.

From The Wall Street Journal

“York’s satellite architecture is built for flexibility, scaled production, and is designed to drive significant cost efficiencies,” Godyn wrote, adding that its backward-compatible design approach allows the company to streamline production and keep costs down.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• resilience