agile

adjective

ag·​ile ˈa-jəl  -ˌjī(-ə)l 

1

: marked by ready ability to move with quick easy grace

an agile dancer

2

: having a quick resourceful and adaptable character

an agile mind

agilely

ˈa-jə(l)-lē 

-ˌjī(-ə)(l)-lē

adverb

Synonyms of agile

• graceful

Examples of agile in a Sentence

Leopards are very fast and agile.

the expressive movements of agile dancers

Recent Examples on the Web

Santos is an intelligent player with lots of potential, and United nabbing him from a ‘Big Six’ rival would be the sort of clever deal that can keep them agile and competitive elsewhere in the summer transfer market. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 10 July 2026

The growing use of high-speed drones in modern conflicts has increased demand for equally fast and agile interceptor systems. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026

The discipline lies in thinking several moves ahead while remaining agile in the moment. — Alice Ferreira, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Smaller, cheaper and more agile technologies are proving capable of outpacing far more complex, capital-intensive systems built for a previous era. — Kathleen “katie” McGinty, Fortune, 6 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin agilis, from agere "to drive, be in motion, do, perform" + -ilis -ile entry 1 — more at agent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for agile

• fragile

Kids Definition

agile

adjective

ag·​ile ˈaj-əl  -ˌīl 

1

: able to move quickly and easily : nimble

an agile gymnast

2

: mentally quick

an agile thinker

agilely

-ə(l)-lē 

-ˌī(l)-lē

adverb

agility

ə-ˈjil-ət-ē

noun

Etymology

Latin agilis "nimble, agile," from agere "to drive, act, do" — related to act, agent