vagility

[ vuh-jil-i-tee ]

noun

, Biology.

1. the ability of an organism to move about freely and migrate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vagility¹

First recorded in 1935–40; vagile + -ity

Example Sentences

Using the GPS collars that updated an animal’s location regularly and other data, the project found that vagility — the ability of an organism to move — declines in areas with human footprints by as much as half to two-thirds the distance than in places where there is little or no human activity.

From New York Times

The new migration study was made possible by Movebank, a global repository of scientific research on animal movement that has cast much new light on vagility.

From New York Times

More research is needed to determine the reasons for the decline in vagility and what that means to a species.

From New York Times

Reduction of the plastron is correlated with a general lightening of the shell, probably associated with the increased vagility of this species.

From Project Gutenberg

The reason for the greater vagility of females in Fitch's records is less evident.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Vagility

What is vagility?

Vagility is the ability of an organism to move and migrate, as in Scientists study a species’ vagility, among other things, to understand a species’ migration habits.

Vagility is literally the ability of an animal or plant species to move. The term is often used to specifically describe the likelihood or probability of success a species would have if it migrated away from its natal habitat or its current living space. The vagility of an animal is normally measured based on how many miles it could travel without dying. 

Many species of birds, for example, will migrate away from one habitat and to another with the seasons, often traveling hundreds of miles as a group and successfully making it back and forth every time. These animals are considered to be highly vagile compared to some low vagility species, such as slow-moving tortoises or amphibians and reptiles that depend on water to live.

Example: This breed of toad has a much higher vagility than lake-bound breeds.

Where does vagility come from?

The first records of the term vagility come from around the 1900s. It combines the term vagile, meaning “having freedom of movement,” and the suffix -ity, which forms abstract nouns that express a state, condition, or quality.

When different species are being observed or even discovered for the first time, the vagility of the creature is often studied, along with what habitats they can reasonably survive in. Vagility is an important factor in the study of migrating creatures because it can reveal what the organisms’ patterns might be and how this can be scientifically explained.

Did you know … ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with vagility? 

• vagile
• vagary
• vagrant
• vagabond

What are some words that often get used in discussing vagility?

• biology
• habitat
• survival
• activity

How is vagility used in real life?

Vagility is almost always discussed in a biological context.

Pat me on the back y'all, I found myself typing "low vagility" and replaced it with "low capacity for movement in the environment."

— Terry McGlynn (@hormiga) May 7, 2018

Dull and cautious movement of Kaolinonychus coreanus coreanus. Although their gene informations need to be checked, it is noteworthy that they show very high morphological concordance in samples caught more than 200 miles away despite their low vagility like this. pic.twitter.com/M5FATV7I0U

— Dongyoung Kim (@mxmln_dy) October 26, 2020

Updated on February 27, 2023

Try using vagility!

True or False?

An animal’s vagility refers to its ability to move.