pliability

American  

[plahy-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌplaɪ əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely pliableness

noun

1. the quality of being easily bent without breaking; flexibility.

   Sweet grass was favored by Native American basket makers for its sweet smell, pliability, and durability.

2. the quality of adjusting readily to change; adaptability.

   Education should take advantage of the pliability of a child's mind and encourage a sense of curiosity.

3. the quality of being easily influenced or persuaded.

   Recent political appointments have been based not on merit, competency, or ability, but on the candidate’s pliability, uncritical loyalty, and toadying behavior.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonpliability noun
• nonpliableness noun
• unpliableness noun

Etymology

Origin of pliability

pliabl(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

The pliability of the platform fed into our natural creativity in terms of how we repurpose things.

From Salon • May 15, 2024

To add that missing dynamism, Morin and his colleagues turned to hydrogels, the class of water-infused polymers that lend soft contact lenses their pliability.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2023

“It shows the pliability of Scripture - the way that each group tries to marshal arguments on its behalf,” he said.

From Washington Times • Jun. 2, 2023

Tires use many materials and this new one transitions away from petroleum products to surplus soybean oil to maintain pliability.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 9, 2023

The saplings, cut when three to six years old, made excellent fork and spade handles on account of the toughness and pliability of their fibre.

From Trees Worth Knowing by Rogers, Julia Ellen