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flexible
6 dictionary results for: flexible
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
flex·i·ble 
[flek-suh-buhl] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
[flek-suh-buhl] Pronunciation Key –adjective
–noun
| 1. | capable of being bent, usually without breaking; easily bent: a flexible ruler. |
| 2. | susceptible of modification or adaptation; adaptable: a flexible schedule. |
| 3. | willing or disposed to yield; pliable: a flexible personality. |
| 4. | a flexible substance or material, as rubber or leather. |
—Related forms
flex·i·bil·i·ty, flex·i·ble·ness, noun
flex·i·bly, adverb
—Synonyms 1. pliable, elastic, supple. Flexible, limber, pliant refer to that which bends easily. Flexible refers to that which is capable of being bent and adds sometimes the idea of compressibility or expansibility: a flexible piece of rubber hose. Limber is esp. applied to the body to refer to ease of movement; it resembles flexible except that there is an idea of even greater ease in bending: a limber dancer. Pliant stresses an inherent quality or tendency to bend that does not require force or pressure from the outside; it may mean merely adaptable or may have a derogatory sense: a pliant character. 2. tractable, compliant.
—Antonyms 1. stiff. 2. rigid.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| flex·i·ble
(flěk'sə-bəl) Pronunciation Key
adj.
[From Latin flexibilis, from flexus, past participle of flectere, to bend.] flex'i·bil'i·ty, flex'i·ble·ness n., flex'i·bly adv. Synonyms: These adjectives refer literally to what is capable of withstanding stress without injury and figuratively to what can undergo change or modification: a flexible wire; flexible plans; an elastic rubber band; an elastic interpretation of the law; thin, resilient copper; a resilient temperament; supple suede; a supple mind. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
flexible
flexible
c.1412, from L. flexibilis "that may be bent, pliant," from flexus, pp. of flectere "to bend," of uncertain origin. Flex is a back-formation, first recorded 1521.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| flexible | |
adjective | |
| 1. | capable of being changed; "flexible schedules" [ant: inflexible] |
| 2. | able to flex; able to bend easily; "slim flexible birches" [ant: inflexible] |
| 3. | able to adjust readily to different conditions; "an adaptable person"; "a flexible personality"; "an elastic clause in a contract" [syn: elastic] |
| 4. | bending and snapping back readily without breaking |
| 5. | making or willing to make concessions; "loneliness tore through him...whenever he thought of...even the compromising Louis du Tillet" [syn: compromising] [ant: inflexible] |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
flex'i·bil'i·ty or flex'i·ble·ness n.
flexible flex·i·ble (flěk'sə-bəl)
adj.
- Capable of being bent or flexed.
- Capable of being bent repeatedly without injury or damage.
flex'i·bil'i·ty or flex'i·ble·ness n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Flexible
Flex"i*ble\, a. [L. flexibilis: cf. F. flexible.]1. Capable of being flexed or bent; admitting of being turned, bowed, or twisted, without breaking; pliable; yielding to pressure; not stiff or brittle. When the splitting wind Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks. --Shak. 2. Willing or ready to yield to the influence of others; not invincibly rigid or obstinate; tractable; manageable; ductile; easy and compliant; wavering. Phocion was a man of great severity, and no ways flexible to the will of the people. --Bacon. Women are soft, mild, pitiful, and flexible. --Shak. 3. Capable or being adapted or molded; plastic,; as, a flexible language. This was a principle more flexible to their purpose. --Rogers. Syn: Pliant; pliable; supple; tractable; manageable; ductile; obsequious; inconstant; wavering. -- Flex"i*ble*ness, n. -- Flex"i*bly, adv.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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