agility
C1Formal to neutral, used across various registers including technical (sports, business, computing).
Definition
Meaning
The ability to move quickly and easily with nimbleness and dexterity.
The ability to think, understand, and respond quickly and effectively; mental quickness, adaptability, and resourcefulness, especially in a changing environment.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun denoting a quality or ability. Its usage spans physical movement, cognitive processing, and organizational adaptability. Often implies an elegant efficiency in addition to speed.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or meaning differences. Usage is identical across both varieties.
Connotations
Identical positive connotations of efficiency, skill, and adaptability.
Frequency
Equally common and used in the same contexts in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NOUN + of + NOUN (agility of mind)VERB + NOUN (demonstrate/show agility)ADJECTIVE + NOUN (mental/physical agility)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The agility of a cat”
- “Agility of mind”
- “Light on one's feet (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to an organization's ability to adapt quickly to market changes. e.g., 'Our digital transformation aims to improve operational agility.'
Academic
Used in psychology (cognitive agility), sports science (physical performance), and business studies (organizational theory).
Everyday
Most commonly used to describe a person's or animal's physical movement. e.g., 'The goalkeeper showed incredible agility to save that shot.'
Technical
In software development: 'Agile methodology' is a project management approach emphasizing iterative development and responsiveness to change.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The team must **agilise** their processes to compete. (Rare, technical)
American English
- Companies are working to **agilize** their workflows. (Rare, technical)
adverb
British English
- The defender moved **agilely** past the attacker.
American English
- She navigated the crowded room **agilely**.
adjective
British English
- She is incredibly **agile** for her age.
- The start-up has an **agile** working method.
American English
- The software team follows **Agile** principles.
- He remains **agile** on the basketball court.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Cats have great agility.
- The children played a game to test their agility.
- Football players need both speed and agility.
- The dog showed its agility in the competition.
- The dancer's agility and strength were impressive.
- Mental agility is as important as knowledge in this job.
- The company's financial agility allowed it to survive the market crash.
- His intellectual agility enabled him to grasp complex concepts rapidly.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a gymnast or a cat: both are archetypes of AGILITY. The word sounds like 'a-gility' – imagine someone saying 'A gilly' (a Scottish boatman) moving nimbly on rocky shores.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOVEMENT IS EFFICIENCY / THINKING IS MOVING (e.g., 'a nimble mind', 'mental gymnastics').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить как "активность" (activity) или "подвижность" (mobility/movability).
- "Ловкость" – более точный физический перевод, но "agility" включает и скорость, и грацию.
- В бизнес-контексте "agility" – это "гибкость" и "адаптивность", а не просто скорость.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing it as /ˈædʒɪləti/ (with a hard 'a'). Correct is a schwa /ə/.
- Using 'agility' as an adjective (e.g., 'He is agility'). Correct: 'He is agile.'
- Confusing with 'ability' – agility is a specific type of ability.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'agility' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Agility emphasizes speed and ease of movement or change, often with a goal in mind. Flexibility focuses more on the range of motion or adaptability without the same connotation of quick, directed action. A yogi has flexibility; a football player has agility.
No. While its core meaning is physical, it is extensively used metaphorically for mental quickness (mental agility) and organizational adaptability (business agility).
The stress is on the second syllable: uh-JIL-uh-tee. The first vowel is a schwa (/ə/), not a short 'a' like in 'cat'.
The Agile methodology is named after the concept of business/process agility. It describes an iterative, responsive approach to project management, valuing adaptability over rigid planning.
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