plasticity

Meanings

1. 1noununcountabletechnical

   The quality of a material that lets it be shaped or molded and then keep that new shape.

   Grammar: No plural: the plasticity of clay.

   Patterns

   • the plasticity of something

   The plasticity of warm clay lets potters shape it by hand.

   Metals show plasticity when they bend without breaking.

   Engineers test the plasticity of the soil before building.

2. 2noununcountablebiologymedical

   The ability of a living system, especially the brain, to change and adapt in response to experience.

   Grammar: Often appears in neuroplasticity or brain plasticity.

   Patterns

   • plasticity of something
   • plasticity in something

   Children's brains have great plasticity, which helps them learn languages.

   Therapy after a stroke relies on the plasticity of the brain.

   Scientists study plasticity in the developing nervous system.

3. 3noununcountablefigurativeformal

   Ability to adjust or be flexible in thought or behavior.

   Grammar: A figurative extension: plasticity of mind.

   Patterns

   • plasticity of something

   The plasticity of the language allows new words to form easily.

   Her plasticity of mind helped her adapt to each new role.

   Markets show plasticity when conditions shift.

Common combinations

brain plasticity

Brain plasticity helps people relearn skills.

neural plasticity

Neural plasticity declines with age but never disappears.

plasticity of clay

The plasticity of clay depends on its water content.

show plasticity

Young plants show plasticity in their growth.

synaptic plasticity

Synaptic plasticity underlies learning and memory.

Synonyms and how they differ

flexibility

Flexibility is the everyday word for bending easily, while plasticity implies a lasting change in form.

malleability

Malleability stresses being hammered or pressed into shape, especially of metals.

adaptability

Adaptability concerns adjusting to conditions, a narrower idea than plasticity of materials.

pliability

Pliability means bending easily without breaking, but not necessarily keeping a new shape.

Opposites

Word family

plastic adjective

able to be shaped, or made of a synthetic material

plastic noun

a synthetic material molded into shapes

neuroplasticity noun

the brain's ability to rewire itself

plasticize verb

to make a material more flexible

Commonly confused: plasticity or elasticity?

Practice

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