mutability

[ myoo-tuh-bil-i-tee ]

/ ˌmyu təˈbɪl ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for mutability on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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.

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.

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Rarely mu·ta·ble·ness

[myoo-tuh-buhl-nis] /ˈmyu tə bəl nɪs/ .

Origin of mutability

First recorded in 1400–50; from French mutabilité, from Latin mūtābilitāt-, stem of mūtābilitās “changeability,” equivalent to mūtābili(s) “changeable” (see mutable ) + -tās -ty²

OTHER WORDS FROM mutability

hy·per·mu·ta·bil·i·ty, nounhy·per·mu·ta·ble·ness, nounnon·mu·ta·bil·i·ty, nounnon·mu·ta·ble·ness, noun

Words nearby mutability

must-read, must-see, must-win, musty, mut, mutability, mutable, mutable sign, mutagen, mutagenesis, mutagenic

How to use mutability in a sentence

The seemingly infinite mutability of SARS-CoV-2 means that new variants are certain to emerge.
Why Animals Are Less Vulnerable Than Humans to BA.5 and Omicron|Jeffrey Kluger|August 3, 2022|Time
The mutability of language is itself immutable, and English never stops growing and changing.
Wunnerfitz! Sollybuster! The Fun of the Dictionary of American Regional English|Ammon Shea|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
As the "Interpreter" of the title suggests, the mutability of language also plays a major role in Ulitskaya's message.
Great Weekend Reads|The Daily Beast|April 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
You become aware of the endless mutability of the universe, and you become aware of the central role of variation.
The Evolution of Darwin and Lincoln|The Daily Beast|February 3, 2009|DAILY BEAST

The gentle sadness of the autumn day had moved her to discourse on the mutability of mundane things.
Jaffery|William J. Locke
Howell Gruffydd picked a tear from his eye with his little finger, and spoke of the mutability of human affairs.
Mushroom Town|Oliver Onions
We ourselves have grown up since the clash of opinion for and against the mutability of species died down.
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists|Various
These had their very close relation to questions of the mutability of species.
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists|Various
And migration, as well as mutability of species, entered into most of his speculations.
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists|Various