flexible

English

A flexible tube

A flexible display

A flexible gymnast

Etymology

From Latin flexibilis, from flectō (“I bend, curve”). Compare French flexible.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈflɛk.sɪ.bəl/, /ˈflɛk.sə.bəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

flexible (comparative more flexible, superlative most flexible)

1. Capable of being flexed or bent without breaking; able to be turned, bowed, or twisted, without breaking; pliable; not stiff or brittle.

   When the splitting wind Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks. -William Shakespeare

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. -Francis Bacon.

   Women are soft, mild, pitiful, and flexible. -William Shakespeare

3. Capable or being adapted or molded; plastic,; as, a flexible language.

   This was a principle more flexible to their purpose. -Rogers.

Synonyms

bendsome ductile inconstant manageable

obsequious pliant pliable

supple tractable wavering

Derived terms

• flexibly
• flexibileness

Related terms

• flexibility

Translations

easily bent without breaking

Armenian: ճկուն (hy) (č̣kun) Catalan: flexible (ca) m. and f. Czech: ohebný (cs) m. Dutch: buigzaam (nl) Finnish: joustava (fi) French: flexible (fr) German: biegsam (de), flexibel (de), elastisch (de), dehnbar (de)

Hungarian: hajlékony (hu) Icelandic: sveigjanlegur (is) Italian: flessibile (it) m. and f., pieghevole (it) m. and f. Latin: flexibilis (la) Manx: so-lhoobey (gv) Russian: гибкий (ru) (gíbkij) Scottish Gaelic: lùbach (gd)

easy and compliant

Arabic: مرن (ar) (marin) Armenian: զիջող (hy) (ziǰoġ) Catalan: flexible (ca) m. and f. Dutch: flexibel (nl) Finnish: joustava (fi) French: flexible (fr) German: fügsam (de), flexibel (de), elastisch (de), nachgiebig (de)

Greek: ευέλικτος (el) (evéliktos) Hungarian: alkalmazkodó (hu) Icelandic: sveigjanlegur (is) Italian: flessibile (it) Latin: flexibilis (la) Manx: so-lhoobey (gv) Russian: покладистый (ru) (pokládistyj)

capable or being adapted or molded

Armenian: ճկուն (hy) (č̣kun) Catalan: flexible (ca) m. and f. Dutch: flexibel (nl) Finnish: joustava (fi) French: flexible (fr), maléable (fr)

German: flexibel (de), dehnbar (de), weich (de) Hungarian: rugalmas (hu) Icelandic: sveigjanlegur (is) Italian: flessibile (it) m. and f. Russian: гибкий (ru) (gíbkij)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

French: souple (fr)

Swedish: flexibel (sv)

See also

• foldable

Noun

flexible (plural flexibles)

1. (chiefly engineering and manufacturing) Something that is flexible
   • 2009 August 19, Terry McCrann, “Win-win deal for the times”, Herald Sun:

     Alcan is mostly flexibles -- and so it boosts Amcor's flexible packaging business to a globally significant $7 billion one.

References

• flexible in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• flexible on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• flexibility on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:flexibility

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Catalan

Etymology

From Latin flexibilis.

Adjective

flexible m. (feminine flexible, masculine plural flexibles, feminine plural flexibles)

1. flexible

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French

Etymology

From Latin flexibilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /flɛk.sibl/, X-SAMPA: /flEk.sibl@/
• Homophone: flexibles
• Hyphenation: flex‧sible

Adjective

flexible (epicene, plural flexibles)

1. flexible

Derived terms

• flexiblement
• inflexible

Related terms

• flexibilité

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin flexibilis, from flectō "I bend, curve".

Pronunciation

• IPA: /flekˈsi.βle/

Adjective

flexible m. and f. (plural flexibles)

1. flexible (all senses)

Related terms

• flexibilidad
• flexión
• flexionar