mutability

[ myoo-tuh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

1. the quality of being liable to undergo change or alteration:

   With the realization of cancer's mutability, they now fear it might not be the same disease in everyone.

2. the quality of constantly changing; transient or transitory quality:

   National borders can have a permanence that contrasts with the almost infinite mutability of the cultures contained within them.

3. Computers. (in object-oriented programming) the characteristic of an object having properties whose values can change while the object itself maintains a unique identity:

   The mutability of the "sales report" object allows properties like sales period and salesperson to be updated without losing the reference to the report elsewhere in the application.

Other Words From

• hy·per·mu·ta·bil·i·ty noun
• hy·per·mu·ta·ble·ness noun
• non·mu·ta·bil·i·ty noun
• non·mu·ta·ble·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mutability¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from French mutabilité, from Latin mūtābilitāt-, stem of mūtābilitās “changeability,” equivalent to mūtābili(s) “changeable” ( mutable ( def ) ) + -tās -ty ²( def )

Example Sentences

The seemingly infinite mutability of SARS-CoV-2 means that new variants are certain to emerge.

From Time

The mutability of language is itself immutable, and English never stops growing and changing.

From The Daily Beast

As the "Interpreter" of the title suggests, the mutability of language also plays a major role in Ulitskaya's message.

From The Daily Beast

You become aware of the endless mutability of the universe, and you become aware of the central role of variation.

From The Daily Beast

The gentle sadness of the autumn day had moved her to discourse on the mutability of mundane things.

From Project Gutenberg

Howell Gruffydd picked a tear from his eye with his little finger, and spoke of the mutability of human affairs.

From Project Gutenberg

We ourselves have grown up since the clash of opinion for and against the mutability of species died down.

From Project Gutenberg

These had their very close relation to questions of the mutability of species.

From Project Gutenberg

And migration, as well as mutability of species, entered into most of his speculations.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• anxiety
• fluctuation
• insecurity
• uncertainty
• volatility
• vulnerability
• weakness