elastic
7
3.4
- adjective
- /ɪˈlæstɪk/
:
flexible
- In a student-run system, we need to have elastic content systems that kids flow in and out of as their needs change.
And that article said it helps keep your brain elastic and.
- And that article said it helps keep your brain elastic and.
- And once you open up and what COVID has taught us has been this creative elastic thinking because we've had nowhere else to go.
- And maybe our minds aren't as receptive and elastic and, and, and plastic as they were when we were infants.
Examples
-
In other words, world supply is more elastic than domestic supply.
Academic text (1992) -
Feelings toward America are elastic and shift dramatically in response to the events of the day.
Academic text (2009) -
Let's be a little more elastic in our assessment, shall we?
-
To me, greatness is a very elastic, flexible idea.
-
The concept of "sectarian balance" is equally elastic and carries a variety of meanings.
Academic text (2000) -
But really what this reprogramming of the epigenome tells us is that this is a lot more modifiable and elastic than we originally knew.
-
Both the regimes and their open-walled buildings were elastic enough to accommodate the mixed political messages arising from the realities of self-governance.
Academic text (2015) -
Teachers should be elastic in their teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of their students.
-
The company's strategy proved to be elastic, allowing it to adapt quickly to market changes.
-
Being elastic in thinking can help individuals navigate unexpected challenges more effectively.
Synonyms
155
3.4
Able to change or be changed to fit different situations
35
3.4
Can be changed to fit different people or things
33
4.9
Able to change to fit new conditions
23
3.4
Able to change to fit new situations
9
5.0
Able to return to shape after you bend, stretch, or press it
8
4.2
Easy to bend or shape
3
4.4
Able to change and adapt easily to new ideas or situations
1
6.5
Willing to change ideas or plans to fit a situation
Able to change to fit new conditions
Easy to bend without breaking, like a thin branch
Able to change quickly to fit different needs
Able to bend and change without breaking
Antonyms
Compounds
1
2.6
A long, stretchy cloth that wraps and supports an injured joint to reduce swelling
- Specialized
1
4.4
Energy stored in an object when it is stretched or squeezed like a spring
- Specialized
People change how much they buy of something a lot when its price goes up or down
- Specialized
A number that shows how stiff a material is when you push or pull it
- Specialized
Stored power in something when it is stretched or squashed, like a spring
- Specialized
Tissue made of stretchy fibers that helps skin and blood vessels return to shape
- Specialized
A natural stretchy material from tree sap used to make rubber things like tires or tubing
- Specialized
When buyers buy only at one price, sales drop to zero if price rises and are unlimited if it falls
- Specialized
A market where sellers sell only at one price and refuse lower prices
How Flexible
Surface Forms
Morphology
elastic = elast + ic
The figurative meaning 'able to adapt' is a metaphorical extension of the physical property and is somewhat predictable from the basic sense even though the root 'elast-' is not a standalone word.
Etymology
Elastic comes from the Greek root elast- meaning 'to stretch', and we use it for ideas or rules that can 'stretch' to fit new needs. That's why an elastic policy or plan can change easily when things are different.