flexibility

flexibility — noun

1. the capacity to adjust your thinking, schedule, or behaviour when the situation

1.nounB2
Definition

the capacity to adjust your thinking, schedule, or behaviour when the situation requires a change from what you first intended.

Example

Xiu valued the flexibility of her new job, which let her work from home twice a week.

flexibility of [work arrangement]

The company showed flexibility by extending the project deadline when the team faced unexpected delays.

show + flexibility + by + gerund

Common collocations
  • show flexibility
  • display flexibility
  • flexibility in [schedule/approach/thinking]
  • flexibility with [rules/deadlines/requirements]
  • schedule flexibility
  • workplace flexibility
  • tremendous flexibility
  • enough flexibility
  • lack of flexibility
Synonyms
  • adaptability

    slightly narrower — focuses on adjusting to new conditions rather than changing plans generally

  • versatility

    emphasises being useful in many different roles or situations, not just the willingness to adjust

  • elasticity

    more formal and metaphorical; often used for systems, budgets, or rules rather than people

Antonyms
  • rigidity

    strict unwillingness to change plans or rules

  • inflexibility

    direct opposite; unwillingness to adjust under any circumstances

Grammar Patterns

flexibility + in + [noun/gerund]

flexibility + of + [noun/possessive noun]

show/display + flexibility

Usage Note

Frequently appears with show, display, or demonstrate. The subject or possessor is usually a person, organisation, or system — never a physical object. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about willingness to change, not about physical bending.

Common Mistakes

I need more flexibility to touch my toes.
I need more flexibility in my schedule to attend the yoga class.
'flexibility' for physical bending belongs to sense 2; for adapting plans, use sense 1.
The rubber band has good flexibility for wrapping the package.
The rubber band has good stretch for wrapping the package.
'flexibility' of a physical object is sense 2, but 'rubber band' is better described with 'stretch' or 'elasticity'.

2. the physical property of a material or body part that allows it to bend, stretch

2.nounB2
Definition

the physical property of a material or body part that allows it to bend, stretch, or be reshaped without cracking, snapping, or causing injury.

Example

Yoga improves your physical flexibility by stretching the muscles and joints regularly.

improve + physical flexibility

The flexibility of this rubber hose makes it ideal for connecting awkward pipes under the sink.

flexibility of [material]

Common collocations
  • physical flexibility
  • muscle flexibility
  • joint flexibility
  • improve flexibility
  • increase flexibility
  • maintain flexibility
  • flexibility of [material]
  • good flexibility
  • limited flexibility
Synonyms
  • suppleness

    more literary; emphasises smooth, effortless bending, often of a body or fabric

  • pliability

    technical; emphasises being easily shaped or moulded rather than just bending

  • elasticity

    specifically describes the ability to return to original shape after stretching

Antonyms
  • stiffness

    resistance to bending; a stiff object is hard to bend or move

  • rigidity

    complete inability to bend; a rigid object will snap rather than bend

Grammar Patterns

flexibility + of + [material/body part]

improve/increase + flexibility

Usage Note

Subject or possessor is always a physical entity — a material (rubber, plastic, metal, wood) or a body part (muscles, joints, spine). Never used for people's willingness to change. The verb improve collocates strongly with this sense when talking about exercise or training.

Common Mistakes

The teacher showed flexibility by letting us submit homework late.
The teacher showed flexibility in her grading policy.
'showed flexibility' describes willingness to change (sense 1), not physical bending.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe the capacity to handle change, but they differ in scope and connotation. 'Flexibility' (sense 1) is the broadest — it covers adjusting plans, rules, schedules, or opinions as the situation demands. 'Adaptability' is narrower: it focuses on fitting into new environments or conditions, such as moving to a different country or learning a new software system. 'Versatility' emphasises usefulness across many roles — a versatile employee can do marketing, sales, and customer support. 'Elasticity' is more metaphorical and formal; you hear it for budgets or policies that can stretch without breaking. 'Resilience' is the ability to recover quickly from difficulty, not to bend proactively. For example: 'Her flexibility meant she happily swapped shifts with a colleague' — but 'Her resilience helped her bounce back after the project failed.'

adaptabilityversatilityelasticity ↗resilience

Common collocations

Nouns

  • degree of flexibility
  • lack of flexibility
  • range of flexibility
  • need for flexibility
  • room for flexibility

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Originates from the Latin noun 'flexibilitas', meaning 'the quality of being easily bent'. That noun comes from the verb 'flectere', meaning 'to bend'. The figurative sense (adaptability in character or policy) developed later in English, by the early 1600s, as a metaphor from the physical meaning. The spelling and form came into English through Middle French 'flexibilité'.