pliant
pronunciation
How to pronounce pliant in British English:
UK [ˈplaɪənt]
How to pronounce pliant in American English:
US [ˈplaɪənt]
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- Adjective:
- capable of being influenced or formed
- able to adjust readily to different conditions
- capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking
- capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
Word Origin
- pliant
- pliant: see ply
- pliant (adj.)
- late 14c., from Old French ploiant "bending, supple; compliant, fickle," as a noun, "turncoat" (13c.), present participle of ploier "to bend" (see ply (n.)). Figurative sense of "easily influenced" is from c. 1400. Related: Pliancy.
Example
- 1. The nobel committee , apparently , is no more than a pliant tool of western governments .
- 2. For years the communist party in china filled key political and state bodies with loyal servants : proletarian workers , pliant scholars and military officers .
- 3. One u.s. official said older chinese officials who dealt with mr. kim 's father , kim il sung , remember him as largely predictable and responsive to chinese influence . ' He was more pliant , ' the official said they were told .