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Glite Dictionary
labile

labile

1 9.7
Able to change or break down easily
  • adjective
  • /ˈleɪbaɪl/
translation icon : lábil
  • The scientist noted that the chemical solution was labile, requiring careful handling to avoid decomposition.
  • labile group
  • highly labile

Word of the day my the word of the day today is labile, labile, LABILE, labile.

Examples

  • So this is a fairly labile sort of characteristic.

  • Johnson, for his part, exhibited highly labile facial displays.

    Academic text (2015)

  • We conclude that the symptoms of the vast majority of MICAs are highly labile during treatment.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Borderlines were emotionally labile, sometimes seeming completely normal, sometimes really crazy.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Her parents—who were separating—were intrusive, emotionally labile, and unable to maintain appropriate boundaries.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The syndrome was characterized by dysphoria, akathisia, depressed mood with suicidal ideation, insomnia, racing thoughts, and labile affect.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The weather can be very labile, changing from sunny to stormy in a matter of minutes.

  • His labile emotions made it hard for him to maintain stable relationships.

Synonyms

unstable
vslabile
80 4.4

Not steady and likely to change, fail, or fall

focuses more on quick change or breakdown than on falling apart
volatile
vslabile
77 7.0

Likely to change suddenly and become more dangerous

means changeability too but without the strong sudden danger element
shaky
vslabile
53 3.3

Not firm or safe and likely to fail

centres on quick change or breakdown rather than just insecurity
fluid
vslabile
43 5.1

Not fixed or stable and likely to change

implies unstable change that can happen suddenly or cause breakdown
fickle
vslabile
39 6.2

Changing often in a way you cannot rely on

refers more generally to quick or fragile change in any thing
changeable
vslabile
8 3.5

Able to become different or not stay the same

tends to change more quickly and collapse rather than just vary
flaky
vslabile
  • Informal
6 7.0

Tending to fail or change without warning

is a general term for quick instability rather than casual unreliability
mutable
vslabile
3 7.7

Likely to change often

is prone to change suddenly or break down quickly
unsettled
vslabile
2 4.3

Weather that often changes, bringing rain or strong wind

applies more broadly and stresses rapid or breakdown-like change

How Stable

stable
473 2.3
labile
1 9.7
erratic
94 6.1
volatile
77 7.0

Surface Forms

labile positive
labiler comparative
labilest superlative

Morphology

labile = lab + ile

The adjective is formed with a Latin root ('lab-') plus the Latin-derived suffix '-ile'; neither element is a productive standalone English morpheme for learners, so the meaning is not transparently derived from familiar English base words.

Etymology

The word labile comes from the Latin root labi meaning 'to slip'. It is the same root as the English word lapse, so labile describes something that easily changes or 'slips' into a new state.