Word family noun flexibility ≠ inflexibility adjective flexible ≠ inflexible adverb flexibly ≠ inflexibly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishflexibleflex‧i‧ble /ˈfleksəbəl/ ●●○ AWL adjective 1 CHANGE/BECOME DIFFERENTa person, plan etc that is flexible can change or be changed easily to suit any new situation OPP inflexible We can be flexible about your starting date.extremely/highly/fairly etc flexible Our new computer software is extremely flexible. The government needs a more flexible approach to education.2 BENDsomething that is flexible can bend or be bent easily OPP rigid shoes with flexible rubber soles —flexibly adverbExamples from the Corpus
flexible• Designers have come up with a technique for making skis more flexible.• I would rather be more flexible.• One of the great joys of forum theatre is that it is extremely flexible.• He said the key to his business success was not forgetting to stay flexible.• My work schedule is fairly flexible.• If you're looking for a job you need to be flexible about where you're prepared to work.• The rules are deliberately left flexible as each case is different.• In contrast, pragmatic parties hold more flexible goals and are oriented to moderate or incremental policy change.• The better tennis racquets are made out of tough but extremely flexible graphite.• The basic structure can be modified by introducing flexible groups in the chain and some examples are given in table 12.1.• First, be flexible in just about all things.• We need a flexible management system, able to meet the changing needs of our customers.• Such projects require a creative environment and flexible plans with ample room for unforeseen delays.• It's made out of a tough but extremely flexible plastic.• The Reserves will play an even more important role and we will introduce legislation to allow their more flexible use.• Unions would like more flexible working hours to replace the nine-to-five, forty hour week.flexible approach• It was only after a long battle that the government began to consider adopting a more flexible approach.• The centre used to recommend a strict vegetarian diet but now uses a more flexible approach.• A flexible approach and the ability to master new techniques quickly is essential and research experience would be an advantage.• But his alternative, more flexible approach had proved fallible also.• There are already early signs that this media flexible approach to our markets is creating opportunities to grow new revenue streams:?• Allied to this is the tendency to work closely with those schools which share this unstructured and flexible approach to referrals.• In particular it requires a more flexible approach to taxation, and the operation of the social services.• The results were then analyzed to see where this approach was causing problems and whether a more flexible approach was needed.From Longman Business Dictionaryflexibleflex‧i‧ble /ˈfleksəbəl/ adjective1a person, plan etc that is flexible can change or be changed easily to suit any new situationflexible investment opportunitiesMore firms are offering flexible benefits (=extra money or other advantages that you can choose to receive as part of your job) in an attempt to retain and attract key staff.We take a flexible approach to each client’s requirements, and plan our strategy around their individual needs.2HUMAN RESOURCES if arrangements for work are flexible, employers can ask workers to do different jobs, work part-time rather than full-time, give them contracts for short periods of time etc. Flexible working also includes flexitime, JOB-SHARING, and TELEWORKING (=working at home)More employees are seeking flexible hours (=want to be able to choose the times they work) or work-at-home deals.We were able to increase efficiency by adopting flexible manning arrangements.Some German companies have been moving production abroad to take advantage of more flexible working practices. —flexibility noun [uncountable]This new technology should lead to greater flexibility in the workplace.Origin flexible (1400-1500) Latin flexibilis, from flexus, past participle of flectere “to bend” 