pliability

[ plahy-uh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

1. the quality of being easily bent without breaking; flexibility:

   Sweet grass was favored by Native American basket makers for its sweet smell, pliability, and durability.

2. the quality of adjusting readily to change; adaptability:

   Education should take advantage of the pliability of a child's mind and encourage a sense of curiosity.

3. the quality of being easily influenced or persuaded:

   Recent political appointments have been based not on merit, competency, or ability, but on the candidate’s pliability, uncritical loyalty, and toadying behavior.

Other Words From

• non·pli·a·bil·i·ty noun
• non·pli·a·ble·ness noun
• un·pli·a·ble·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pliability¹

pliabl(e) ( def ) + -ity ( def )

Example Sentences

This age — not kids, not quite adults — is such an impossibly short time, and it’s poignant to drink in their openness and pliability as people, their youthful trust and imperviousness, to watch them blossom and bond.

From Los Angeles Times

The pliability of the platform fed into our natural creativity in terms of how we repurpose things.

From Salon

To add that missing dynamism, Morin and his colleagues turned to hydrogels, the class of water-infused polymers that lend soft contact lenses their pliability.

From Science Daily

In the hands of the powerful, that pliability has had harsh consequences for centuries.

From Los Angeles Times

“It shows the pliability of Scripture - the way that each group tries to marshal arguments on its behalf,” he said.

From Washington Times