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

It will create "greater flexibility" for the firm and allow workers to leave with financial support and career planning resources, Microsoft said.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

The goal of expanding the chip lineup is to give customers more flexibility and choice as AI compute continues to be constrained.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

I’m simply suggesting that, particularly in retirement, having accessible cash and maintaining financial flexibility may be worth more than paying off the mortgage early.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

"To complement cash generated by the business and preserve financial flexibility, we will access additional sources of funding when we believe it is attractive to do so," Hood said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

Tsukiko, however, is one of the rare contortionists whose flexibility is equal in both directions.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

“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

But in 2026, those flexibilities will vanish unless Congress acts.

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2025

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

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025

It said that some 57% of job centres had used flexibilities allowed by the DWP to reduce support for claimants when caseloads are too high between September 2023 and November 2024.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2025

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

---