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pliant

[ plahy-uhnt ]
/ ˈplaɪ ənt /
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See synonyms for: pliant / pliancy / pliantness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
bending readily; flexible; supple; adaptable: She manipulated the pliant clay.
easily influenced; yielding to others; compliant: He has a pliant nature.
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Origin of pliant

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, present participle of the verbplier ply2; see -ant

synonym study for pliant

1, 2. See flexible.

OTHER WORDS FROM pliant

Words nearby pliant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pliant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pliant

pliant
/ (ˈplaɪənt) /

adjective
easily bent; supplea pliant young tree
easily modified; adaptable; flexiblea pliant system
yielding readily to influence; compliant

Derived forms of pliant

pliancy or pliantness, nounpliantly, adverb

Word Origin for pliant

C14: from Old French, from plier to fold, bend; see ply ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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