labile

American  

[ley-bahyl, -buhl] / ˈleɪ baɪl, -bəl /

adjective

1. apt or likely to change.

   the labile nature of language.

2. (in chemistry, biology, psychiatry, etc.) able or likely to change or break down easily, rapidly, or continually; unstable.

   labile emotions;

   labile blood pressure;

   cellular functions that seem to require different levels of labile zinc.

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labile British  

/ ˈleɪbɪl, ləˈbɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. chem (of a compound) prone to chemical change

2. liable to change or move

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lability
  noun

Etymology

Origin of labile

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English labil “(of the mind) wandering, forgetful,” from Latin lābilis “sliding, slipping, (of verse) smooth-flowing,” equivalent to Latin lāb(ī) “to slip” + -ilis -ile

Explanation

Labile is an adjective used to describe something that is easily or frequently changed. Radioactive elements, such as uranium or plutonium, are labile. It is this lability that makes them unstable and dangerous. From the Latin verb lābī, "to slide or slip," labile is often found in a technical context, especially in science, to refer to some sort of instability. For example, in chemistry, a compound that can be easily broken down by heat is called labile. The term can also be used in psychology to describe someone who is emotionally unstable.

Example Sentences

Someone with high IIV might be considered an emotionally labile person.

From Scientific American • Apr. 5, 2023

Anna says to herself, “Psychopath. The superficial charm, the labile personality, the flat affect.”

From The New Yorker • Feb. 4, 2019

Mr. Bowie’s voice was similarly labile — gliding between ragged cackle and haunting croon as he sang about decaying cities and alienated rock stars.

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2016

Schoenberg’s “The Book of Hanging Gardens” is an atonal song cycle based on poems by Stefan George that obsessively dissect a love affair in 15 feverish, labile verses.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2015

The organisation passes from a labile state of equilibrium to an increasingly stable state, and at many points it may reach a terminus where it comes to a standstill.

From Naturalism And Religion by Otto, Rudolf