Flexibility refers to the quality of being adaptable or able to bend without breaking. It encompasses mental adaptability as well as physical suppleness, allowing a system, plan, or body to adjust to changing conditions with ease. In practice, flexibility implies a readiness to modify approach, expectations, or techniques in response to new information or constraints.
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"Her schedule shows remarkable flexibility, allowing her to accommodate last‑minute meetings."
"The gymnast demonstrated impressive flexibility during the routine, arching gracefully."
"We value flexibility in our team, so we can pivot when market conditions shift."
"Achieving work‑life flexibility often requires clear boundaries and effective time management."
Flexibility derives from the Latin verb flectere, meaning to bend or twist, paired with the noun suffix -ibility to form ‘flexibility’ ( bending capability). The root flect- appears in many English words like reflect, inflect, and inflection, signifying bending or turning. The concept evolved from physical sense of bendability to abstract sense of adaptability in the 18th–19th centuries, as industrialization and evolving social structures highlighted the need for adaptable plans and systems. Early uses emphasized physical pliability (materials, joints) before expanding to mental and organizational contexts. The term appeared in English in the 17th–18th centuries in technical or philosophical writings, with broader popularization in the 19th and 20th centuries as more flexible approaches to work, education, and governance became valued. The modern usage encompasses both physical pliancy and cognitive adaptability, often in contexts describing processes, strategies, and policies that can adjust to changing conditions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "flexibility" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "flexibility"
-ity sounds
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Pronounce as /ˌflɛk.səˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ in US/UK; primary stress on the third syllable. Begin with /fl/ followed by a schwa in the second syllable, then a strong /bɪl/ cluster, and end with /ɪ.ti/. In connected speech, it often sounds like /ˌflɛk.səˈbɪlɪti/. Mouth positions: start with light lip spread for /f/, alveolar /l/ with a relaxed tongue, /ɛ/ as in “bed,” /k/ as in “cat,” then /sə/ with a relaxed schwa, then /bɪl/ (lip rounding not strong), and finish with /ɪti/ where the /ti/ is a crisp alveolar stop followed by a light vowel. Audio reference: [pronounce resource]
Common errors: (1) Misplacing stress, saying flɛk-səz-ˈbɪlɪti or flex-ability with incorrect syllable emphasis; (2) Dropping or altering the unstressed schwas, leading to /ˈflɛkˌbɪlɪti/; (3) Attaching the final -ty as -tee or -ty without proper final vowel. Corrections: keep the primary stress on the -bil- syllable, insert a clear schwa in the second syllable, and articulate the final -ti as /ti/ with a light tongue contact. Practice with slow repeats: /ˌflɛk.səˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/, then natural pace.”
US/UK/AU share the /ˌflɛk.səˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ skeleton, but vowel quality and rhoticity vary. US frequently uses rhotic /r/ none in this word; UK is non-rhotic but /flɛk.səˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ remains similar; Australian tends to a slightly higher vowel height in /ɪ/ and a more airy /ə/ in the second syllable. The final syllable can be pronounced with a light vowel reduction in fast speech; in careful speech, vowels align with /i/ not reduced. Overall, expect minor vowel shifts and crisp consonants across accents.
The difficulty comes from multiple factors: the cluster /fl/ at the start, the short, lax schwa in the second syllable, and the stress on -bil-. The sequence /k.sə/ can tempt a /ksə/ or /k.sə/ blend; maintaining three stable syllables with accurate vowel length can be challenging in rapid speech. Additionally, the final -ty /ti/ needs a clean alveolar stop followed by a light vowel, which many speakers gloss over. Slow practice helps stabilize these phonetic landmarks.
The root flex- cues a short, hard /e/ vowel in some accents; the suffix -ibility yields a light, quick segmental transition: /flɛk.səˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/. Stress typically lands on -bil-, driving the /ɪ/ as a clear vowel. The suffix -ibility is pronounced as /-ɪˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ with the second syllable reduced to /sə/ and the fourth syllable ending in a high front vowel /i/. Awareness of this decomposition helps you keep stress on the correct syllable and articulate each morpheme distinctly.
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