pliancy

noun

pli·​an·​cy ˈplī-ən(t)-sē How to pronounce pliancy (audio)
: the quality or state of being pliant

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In surrendering to remoteness and distance—what can’t be seen or decided, whether because of memory’s pliancy or people’s opacity—the show birthed something new, or seemed to. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023 The leave-in Hair Dew brings pliancy to hair, and a good pick for thirsty strands is the What the Hemp deep moisture mask, which deeply moisturizes but feels light as air. Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2023 Yet throughout there is a constant, distinctive search for a simple, singing sense of expression, for a pliancy of line, for a sophistication and sensitivity that lay in more than technical precision. David Allen, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2022 The leave-in Hair Dew brings pliancy to hair, and a good pick for thirsty strands is the What the Hemp deep moisture mask, which deeply moisturizes but feels light as air. Charu Suri, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Mar. 2022 But on Wednesday night, those Mach-one speeds tended to shear off the symphony’s character — especially in the Andante, which had little of the movement’s familiar pliancy and lackadaisical levity. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2022 But theater artists, filmmakers and novelists, drawn to the interior richness of Chekhov’s dramas, have discovered not only the timeliness of his untimely work but also its aesthetic pliancy and openness. Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2022 But this pliancy likely will translate to a decent ride on the street. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 22 Mar. 2022 The design is ingenious: a mesh of stainless-steel rings smartly wrapped around a slab of soft silicone, providing the comfort and pliancy of a sponge without a sponge’s tendency to absorb grease and gunk. Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, 22 Mar. 2022 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

pli(ant) + -ancy

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pliancy was in 1632

Dictionary Entries Near pliancy

Cite this Entry

“Pliancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pliancy. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

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