plasticity

[ pla-stis-i-tee ]

noun

1. the quality or state of being plastic.
2. the capability of being molded, receiving shape, or being made to assume a desired form:

   the plasticity of social institutions; the great plasticity of clay.

plasticity

/ plæˈstɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality of being plastic or able to be moulded
2. (in pictorial art) the quality of depicting space and form so that they appear three-dimensional

Other Words From

• nonplas·tici·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of plasticity¹

First recorded in 1725–35; plastic + -ity

Example Sentences

The brain's ability to learn comes from "plasticity," in which neurons constantly edit and remodel the tiny connections called synapses that they make with other neurons to form circuits.

From Science Daily

Her team also has found that reduced myelin plasticity contributes to "chemo-fog," the cognitive impairments that often follow cancer treatment.

From Science Daily

One mechanism underlying treatment resistance may be the plasticity of cancer cells: they can change their degree of differentiation and revert to a stem cell-like state, which helps them avoid the effects of hormonal therapies.

From Science Daily

A similar phenomenon may occur in the human brain, which has more plasticity early in life, and can easily learn to identify objects based on their luminance alone.

From Science Daily

"When the cichlids were young, they had this huge plasticity and were able to alter their physiology in order to cope with the turbid environmental conditions," Tiarks said.

From Science Daily