agile

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

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Examples: agile in a Sentence

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

At 6-3 and 210 pounds, he is described as athletic and strong, agile, with clean leg movements and a strong arm, defensively advanced.

— jorge ebro, miamiherald, "He was left off the Cuban national team. And now he is a step closer to the majors," 5 June 2018
One study published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science in 2016 found that the agile wallaby, or Macropus agilis, was suitable to be kept as a pet.

— jacqueline howard, CNN, "First pets around the world: Puppies, bunnies -- or beetles," 24 May 2018
Sports cars are designed for the young and agile, and afforded mainly by the older and successful.

— scott sturgis, Philly.com, "McLaren 570S Spider: Knock-your-glasses-off fun - plus room for luggage," 31 May 2018
Then, finally, there’s a thing called agile hardware development, making it a lot easier to build.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Dave Patterson and John Hennessy on Recode Decode," 17 May 2018
The agile jaw probably allowed the bird to preen its feathers and gave it a pincerlike grasp.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "Fossils reveal how ancient birds got their beaks," 2 May 2018
And while the fish isn't known for being the most nimble swimmer, the nets have captured more agile sea creatures, most of which die or become severely injured.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Shocking Video Shows Impacts of Controversial Fishing Method," 27 Apr. 2018
Defensive end Chad Thomas is surprisingly agile and flexible despite his 6-foot-6 frame.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "One last 7-round Carolina Panthers mock draft, with Dave Gettleman in starring role | Charlotte Observer," 25 Apr. 2018
Students need learning environments that are agile, relevant and exciting.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "Education Secretary DeVos blames D.C. graduation scandal on ‘top-down pressure’ and fear of ‘Big Ed’," 5 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