What does flexible mean?
Flexible is an adjective with two closely related senses: it describes something physical that bends easily without breaking, such as rubber, wire, or fabric, and it describes people, plans, or arrangements that can adapt readily to changing circumstances. A flexible schedule might shift around a family emergency; a flexible thinker adjusts their views when new evidence emerges. The word carries a broadly positive connotation — flexibility is widely treated as a virtue in both objects and character. In modern workplaces, 'flexible working' has become an established term for arrangements that vary hours or location. The word derives from the Latin flectere, meaning 'to bend', placing it in the same family as flex, flexion, reflect, and deflect. Its blend of literal and figurative uses makes it one of those everyday words whose physical origin quietly underpins its metaphorical power.
adjectiveAble to bend easily without breaking; also, able to adapt or be adapted to changing circumstances.
- (Of a material or object) able to bend easily without breaking.
- (Of a person, plan, or arrangement) willing and able to adapt to change.
- (Of working arrangements) allowing variation in hours or location.
"The company offers flexible working hours so employees can fit their jobs around family life."
"Rubber is a flexible material that springs back into shape after bending."
"We can be flexible about the deadline if you need more time."
'Flexible' comes from the Latin verb flectere — to bend — the same root behind 'flex' and even 'reflect', which literally means to bend your thoughts back on themselves.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flexible
Flexible comes from the Latin verb flectere ('to bend'), via its past participle stem flexus, entering English from Latin in the early 17th century. It shares this root with flex and flexion, and more surprisingly with reflect and deflect, which denote bending light or thought in different directions. The figurative sense of mental or practical adaptability developed later than the original physical sense of bendability.
Related word forms
How flexible is actually used
Neutral to positive connotation: describing a person as flexible usually praises their adaptability, while describing an object highlights its physical pliancy. In British workplace contexts, 'flexible working' is an established formal term for variable-hours arrangements.
Easily confused with flexible
Flexuous means winding or full of curves in shape, whereas flexible means capable of bending without breaking.