Flexibility
/ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe quality of bending easily without breaking; the ability to change or adapt.
The ability to bend easily.
The gymnast demonstrated incredible flexibility during her routine.
💡 Simply: Flexibility is like being a bouncy ball. It's about how easily you can bend or move without breaking. Imagine trying to touch your toes—that’s flexibility!
👶 For kids: Being able to bend and stretch your body really easily.
More Examples
A good warm-up routine will improve your flexibility and help prevent injury.
The company needs to demonstrate more flexibility in its pricing to remain competitive.
How It's Used
"The patient needs to improve their flexibility to recover from the injury."
"Yoga helps improve flexibility and balance."
Readiness and ability to change or be changed to suit different circumstances.
The ability to be changed or adapted.
The teacher showed great flexibility in accommodating different learning styles.
💡 Simply: Imagine your schedule. Sometimes plans change! Flexibility means you can easily adjust and go with the flow, like changing your plans on a whim. It's like having a plan B, C and D!
👶 For kids: Being able to change your mind or plans when something else is happening.
More Examples
The new software offers greater flexibility in terms of customization.
We need to build flexibility into our project schedule to account for potential delays.
How It's Used
"The company requires employees to demonstrate flexibility with their work hours."
"Having flexibility in your approach is often key to finding a solution."
Idioms & expressions
to give someone some flexibility
To allow someone to have more freedom in their actions or choices.
"The manager gave the employee some flexibility in their working hours."
flexibility training
Exercises designed to improve the range of motion of your body.
"Yoga is a great form of flexibility training."
From Latin *flexibilis* ('able to be bent') which is derived from *flectere* ('to bend'). It entered the English language in the 16th century.
The word 'flexibility' has been used since the 16th century, initially relating to physical properties and gradually extended to include concepts like adaptability and resilience.
Memory tip
Think of a rubber band – it has flexibility!