agile

adjective ag·ile \ ˈa-jəl , -ˌjī(-ə)l \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of agile

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

play \-jə(l)-lē, -ˌjī(l)-lē\ adverb

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Examples of agile in a Sentence

Leopards are very fast and agile.
the expressive movements of agile dancers

Recent Examples of agile from the Web

The tiny vampires may swell to 10 times their body weight after feeding, transforming from agile, threadlike worms into engorged blood sausages.

— rachel nuwer, New York Times, "It’s the Latest in Conservation Tech. And It Wants to Suck Your Blood.," 9 Apr. 2018
Thomas is explosive, and surprisingly agile and flexible for his 6-foot-6 frame.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "A 7-round mock draft for the Carolina Panthers? Our early projections ... | Charlotte Observer," 4 Apr. 2018
Get more agile — get Hudy'd up — and improve as a shot blocker and rebounder.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Ranking KU's tournament losses under Self, plus Royals & Chiefs | The Kansas City Star," 3 Apr. 2018
How the tallest NHLer in history has survived amid an increasingly agile hockey world, dominated by aggressive, high-energy challengers like the Western Conference-leading Predators and Golden Knights.

— alex prewitt, SI.com, "The Legend of Z: Zdeno Chara Remains Obsessed in His Pursuit of Outsized Excellence," 3 Apr. 2018
After some agile British diplomacy the EU’s 28 leaders issued a joint statement declaring that the only plausible explanation for the attack was that Russia was responsible for it.

— The Economist, "Britain pulls off a diplomatic coup against Russia at the EU," 23 Mar. 2018
The future belongs to not only the physically brave but also the intellectually agile.

— Anchorage Daily News, "The Pentagon isn’t taking UFOs seriously enough," 16 Mar. 2018
Investors have pushed Unilever for years, however, to eliminate the dual structure, arguing that doing so would make the company more agile and better able to pursue mergers.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Boston design firm Continuum sold," 16 Mar. 2018
Last year at the Green Mill, Davis provided simpatico contributions to an equally agile and shape-shifting quartet led by bassist Eric Revis, often binding hurtling tempos and convoluted structures with quiet authority.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "Jazz pianist Kris Davis pivots from her recent collaborative projects for a rare solo concert in Chicago," 8 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'agile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of agile

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year