Wiktionary

pliant

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English pliaunt, from Old French ploiant,[1] present participle of ploiier (“to fold”).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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pliant (comparative more pliant, superlative most pliant)

  1. Capable of plying or bending; readily yielding to force or pressure without breaking.
    Synonyms: flexible, pliable, lithe, limber, plastic
    a pliant thread
    pliant wax
    • 1917 April, “The Warblers of North America”, in The National Geographic Magazine:
      Whether in its northern or southern home, the black-throated blue warbler builds its nest of bark, roots, and other pliant material, loose and rather bulky, in a variety of saplings, bushes, and weeds, but always a few inches or a few feet from the ground.
  2. (figuratively) Easily influenced; tractable.
    • 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
      I must haue wanton Poets, pleasant wits,
      Musitians, that with touching of a string
      May draw the pliant king which way I please:
    • 1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 11, recto:
      [A]nd it is without all controuerſie, that learning doth make the minds of men gentle, generous, maniable, and pliant to gouernment; whereas Ignorance makes them churlish[,] thwart, and mutinous; […]
    • 1839, William Gilmore Simms, “The Brooklet”, in Southern Passages and Pictures‎[1], New York: George Adlard, page 2:
      Yet there was pleasant sadness that became
      Meetly the gentle heart and pliant sense,
      In that same idlesse—gazing on that brook
    • 1988, A. J. Langguth, Patriots:
      [The king] had a pliant prime minister and a general who was telling him what he wanted to hear.
    • 2023 November 4, Madhumita Murgia, Anna Gross, Cristina Criddle, “Summit exposes tensions over AI development despite emollient Chinese tone”, in FT Weekend, page 12:
      The person said one of the reasons the Chinese had been so pliant in development of a joint position on AI governance was that “playing nice” and acting as a “responsible partner” could help foster conversations about relaxation of US trade barriers later down the line.

Derived terms

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English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *pleḱ-‎ (0 c, 24 e)

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “pliant”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

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French

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Participle

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pliant

  1. present participle of plier

Adjective

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pliant (feminine pliante, masculine plural pliants, feminine plural pliantes)

  1. pliant
    vélo pliant ― folding bicycle

Derived terms

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Noun

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pliant m (plural pliants)

  1. (colloquial) folding chair, seat, etc.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French pliant.

Adjective

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pliant m or n (feminine singular pliantă, masculine plural plianți, feminine and neuter plural pliante)

  1. folding

Declension

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Declension of pliant
singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative/
accusative 		indefinite pliant pliantă plianți pliante
definite pliantul plianta plianții pliantele
genitive/
dative 		indefinite pliant pliante plianți pliante
definite pliantului pliantei plianților pliantelor
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