flexibleflex‧i‧ble /ˈfleksəbəl/ ●●○ AWL adjective 
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.2something that is flexible can bend or be bent easily OPP rigid: shoes with flexible rubber soles—flexibly adverb
WORD ORIGINflexible
Origin:
1400-1500 Latin flexibilis, from flexus, past participle of flectere ‘to bend’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Designers have come up with a technique for making skis more flexible.
- He said the key to his business success was not forgetting to stay flexible.
- If you're looking for a job you need to be flexible about where you're prepared to work.
- It's made out of a tough but extremely flexible plastic.
- My work schedule is fairly flexible.
- The better tennis racquets are made out of tough but extremely flexible graphite.
- The rules are deliberately left flexible as each case is different.
- Unions would like more flexible working hours to replace the nine-to-five, forty hour week.
- We need a flexible management system, able to meet the changing needs of our customers.
- First, be flexible in just about all things.
- I would rather be more flexible.
- In contrast, pragmatic parties hold more flexible goals and are oriented to moderate or incremental policy change.
- One of the great joys of forum theatre is that it is extremely flexible.
- Such projects require a creative environment and flexible plans with ample room for unforeseen delays.
- The basic structure can be modified by introducing flexible groups in the chain and some examples are given in table 12.1.
- The Reserves will play an even more important role and we will introduce legislation to allow their more flexible use.
Longman Language Activatoreasy to bend
something that is flexible is able to bend easily or can be bent easily, especially because it has been made like this to do a particular job: · The better tennis racquets are made out of tough but extremely flexible graphite.· Designers have come up with a technique for making skis more flexible.
able to bend without breaking or cracking: · High quality leather is firm yet pliable.
easy to change methods, systems, or rules that are flexible can easily be changed if necessary: · We need a flexible management system, able to meet the changing needs of our customers.· Unions would like more flexible working hours to replace the nine-to-five, forty-hour week.· The rules are deliberately left flexible as each case is different.
a system or way of doing something that is adaptable can be changed so that it is suitable for very different uses and very different situations: · In this job you need to be adaptable and able to cope with unexpected situations.highly adaptable (=very adaptable): · Young children are highly adaptable -- I'm sure they won't mind moving to a different area.
willing to change the way you do something willing to change your ideas, plans, or methods according to the situation: · If you're looking for a job you need to be flexible about where you're prepared to work.· He said the key to his business success was not forgetting to stay flexible.
someone who is adaptable does not get upset or annoyed if they have to change the way they do things, and easily gets used to new situations: · Children are often more adaptable than adults.· I'm not sure Ken's adaptable enough to take a job abroad.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Our new computer software is extremely flexible. The government needs a more flexible approach to education.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Many mothers prefer flexible working hours.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
Our new computer software is extremely flexible. The government needs a more flexible approach to education. (=using different methods if necessary)· We have a flexible approach to our clients’ requirements.
Many mothers prefer flexible working hours.· It is as flexible, in terms of processing and information flow, as the blackboard system used in Hearsay-II.· Nor are we as flexible as we would like to be.· The Secondary Labour Market An important part of this secondary labour market is composed of what are known as flexible workers.· The devices aren't as fast or as flexible as they should be, the notes indicated.· The answers should help you to keep a realistic grip on your decorating ideas and these should be as flexible as possible.· Some manufacturers are not as flexible, so it pays to shop around to obtain the perfect solution.
· Because the process is extremely flexible, customers no longer need to buy a minimum of one tonne of alloy.· This extremely flexible system allows the hotel to tailor service preferences for each guest.· To work like that you needed an extremely flexible team of actors and technicians, didn't you?· One of the great joys of forum theatre is that it is extremely flexible.· It is, for example, extremely flexible.
· Personal Finance Manager is fairly flexible.· Another advantage is that they have fairly flexible admissions standards.
· This service is largely used for the development and operation of highly flexible management information systems rather than standard data processing work.· Its highly flexible neck enables it to keep watch over a wide area while it is both searching for and chasing prey.· Such criteria have, therefore, to be general and highly flexible allowing for sensitivity to people's aspirations.· A Complete Course Get Ready! is a highly flexible course.· The Livesey grandchildren accepted her as an unprotesting and highly flexible playmate, occasionally using her forearms as drumsticks.
· The vocal chords are also less flexible, so that our voices change.· The store manager said he found the new technology more labour intensive and less flexible.· Rules, and the policy institutions that apply them, are inevitably less flexible than a discretionary policy.· Rules laid down in a statute would be less flexible.
· A much more flexible and pro-active strategy was needed, unless Labour was to pass into total oblivion.· It is directly aimed at encouraging employees to be more flexible and to give up formal job restrictions.· For these reasons, indirect taxes are usually regarded as a more flexible instrument of macroeconomic policy.· Mission-driven organizations are more flexible than rule-driven organizations.· Labour pains A more flexible labour market has not stopped pay going up.· The couplings between members of an ecosystem are far more flexible and transient than the couplings between members of an organism.· The pragmatist is more flexible, recognising that exceptions do arise and must be practically catered for.· Communities are more flexible and creative than large service bureaucracies.
· The most flexible attribute is the skills, these can be developed or changed in line with capacities and aspirations.· Finally, two-year colleges have proved to be among the most flexible and dynamic parts of the education system.· Loose-leaf binders are the most flexible means of keeping notes and hand-outs tidy.· Squinting against the flattening sun, his eyes were crinkled at the corners like the most flexible leather.· Role Play Role play is one of the most flexible communicative techniques at the disposal of the teacher.· Induk says my body is weakest after birth, but also at its most flexible.· A company is the most flexible form of business enterprise as far as expansion is concerned.· The function of public relations Public relations is the most flexible communication method available to management.
· There are, however, many of use who can't be so flexible.· I think it's a brilliant idea because it's so flexible.· In the commission's view these rules are so flexible that no company need be put off by them.· Many companies are worried by the worker-participation clauses: if they are really so flexible, why bother with them at all?· It is that they are so flexible, so accommodating, especially in some of the newer forms.
· Language is sufficiently flexible to allow the construction of an infinite variety of singular terms which do not designate any entity.· This is another way in which Highlander has had to be sufficiently flexible to adapt to changing needs.· Categories of expenditure should be sufficiently flexible to allow transfer of funds if increase in one category would lead to overall savings.· Zande conceptions are sufficiently flexible to permit the selection of explanations according to one's position and interests.· In summary, an exchange rate system needs to be sufficiently flexible to cope with long-run changes in countries' competitive positions.
· Indeed, the library user seeking monographic documents appears to be very flexible.· Yet even with so many lashings holding it together, the raft was very flexible.· The scheme, says Renshaw, is very flexible and she has received very good management support.· Tables entered as rows are very flexible.· Their behaviour is a very flexible result of the interaction between that knowledge and their needs, such as their need for food.· A very flexible outlook on life, I know.· This provides a very flexible and economical method of accessing and interrogating the database of some 70000 samples.· Armour is beautifully made from a myriad of tiny metal scales making it lightweight and very flexible but stronger than steel.
NOUN· The results were then analyzed to see where this approach was causing problems and whether a more flexible approach was needed.· In particular it requires a more flexible approach to taxation, and the operation of the social services.· The centre used to recommend a strict vegetarian diet but now uses a more flexible approach.· It was only after a long battle that the government began to consider adopting a more flexible approach.· 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.· But his alternative, more flexible approach had proved fallible also.· A flexible approach and the ability to master new techniques quickly is essential and research experience would be an advantage.
· Table 8.1 revealed the extent to which flexible exchange rates have been adopted.· In fact, the move to flexible exchange rates did not work as predicted.· The ensuing behaviour of exchange rates sharply contradicted the predictions of those who argued in favour of flexible exchange rates.· The experience of the 1970s, further, demonstrated that the principal argument in favour of flexible exchange rates was ill-founded.· Fluctuating or flexible exchange rates have, perhaps, unsettled financial markets and contributed to world trade and investment problems.
· Labour pains A more flexible labour market has not stopped pay going up.· Those lower down lack both the material and social resources which those higher up can employ to navigate a flexible labour market.· The third element is the flexible labour force, part-time and temporary employees who provide expertise and skills in response to changing needs.· Trade unions and employers are already negotiating markedly more flexible labour agreements.· In theory, today's more flexible labour market should allow unemployment to fall more quickly.· Britain's flexible labour market and low taxation helped push unemployment and inflation to the lowest level for a generation.
· If nothing else flexible response as adopted in December 1967 had caused the planners to concentrate on actual rather than target forces.· The new strategy was called flexible response.· Apart from the possibilities of weather changing during a walk, layering also provides a flexible response to your own levels of exertion.· This flexible response to any drug, whether recreational or therapeutic, is called tolerance.· Finally, public organisations urgently need to enhance their capacity for social learning, creativity and flexible response.· Faith in the Kennedy-McNamara program of flexible response, counterinsurgency techniques, and the new theories of limited war remained high.· Develop range of coping skills to assist flexible responses.· Rigid planning means that unforseen opportunities are lost and flexible response is built out of the system.
· More flexible schedules will not immediately change the balance of work done by men and women within their households.· More flexible schedules at a few companies will not transform the workplace overnight.· Near is looking forward to flexible schedules with longer runs for more popular shows in order to support riskier work.· In role-playing ses-sions, they take turns asking for and then granting or denying requests for flexible schedules.· The heavily restricted Internet deals appeal to people with disposable income and flexible schedules.· Indeed, a 1990 study by Catalyst found initial resistance to flexible schedules by 41 percent of middle managers.· More of you may be working a flexible schedule that means lunch has disappeared altogether.
· It must be based on the student's own targets and requires a flexible system of accreditation.· This extremely flexible system allows the hotel to tailor service preferences for each guest.· All modules are credited individually on the National Certificate and this flexible system has proved to be very successful.
· We are also trying to make News and Current Affairs a better place to work by providing more flexible ways of working.· But there are more flexible ways of easing back into the job market.· Digital cartography promised a more efficient and flexible way of doing this kind of work.· Their command driven report writers provide a quick and flexible way of getting information out of the system.
· His attempts to link reductions in working hours to more flexible work practices, for example, have run into powerful union resistance.
· Clearly now as never before there is a need for a well-trained, flexible workforce.· A skilled, flexible workforce is a key element in that environment.· It is for this reason that this group should be included in any study of the flexible workforce.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- An outside problem can sometimes be helped by, say, more flexible working hours and so be resolved at management level.
- Earnings might vary because of piece-work, overtime or short-time working.
- Flexible Hours Question: Has consideration been given to the introduction of flexible working hours?
- Meanwhile, solicitors were last week urged to consider flexible working for staff in line with the government's family friendly policies.
- Recruitment procedures focus on individual skills and potential for flexible working.
- Through grants to local authorities, we are financing schemes to introduce more flexible working practices - such as job sharing.
- Vauxhall bosses admit that the threat of short-time working at Ellesmere Port still remains a possibility.
- Wage freezes have been brought in across most of the company and some short-time working introduced.
WORD FAMILYnounflexibility ≠ inflexibilityadjectiveflexible ≠ inflexibleadverbflexibly ≠ inflexibly
1a 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.2something that is flexible can bend or be bent easily OPP rigid: shoes with flexible rubber soles—flexibly adverb