Definition of MALLEABLE (original) (raw)
1
: capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers
2
a
: capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences
b
: having a capacity for adaptive change
Did you know?
Malleable comes from the Latin verb malleare, meaning "to hammer." Malleare itself comes from the Latin word for "hammer," malleus. If you have guessed that maul and mallet, other English words for specific types of hammers, are related to malleus, you have hit the nail on the head.
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for malleable
plastic materials allow the sculptor greater freedom
pliable suggests something easily bent, folded, twisted, or manipulated.
pliant may stress flexibility and sometimes connote springiness.
an athletic shoe with a pliant sole
ductile applies to what can be drawn out or extended with ease.
ductile metals such as copper
malleable applies to what may be pressed or beaten into shape.
the malleable properties of gold
adaptable implies the capability of being easily modified to suit other conditions, needs, or uses.
computer hardware that is adaptable
Examples of malleable in a Sentence
The brothers Warner presented a flexible, malleable world that defied Newton, a world of such plasticity that anything imaginable was possible. —
Billy Collins, Wall Street Journal, 28–29 June 2008 At each landing the villagers had carved the wonderfully malleable silt into staircases, terraces, crenellations, and ziggurats. —Kenneth Brower, National Geographic Traveler, March 2000 The boy seemed to me possessed by a blind, invalid arrogance, and every human being, as his eye flicked over or flinched against them, became, immediately, as malleable as his mother and his father. —James Baldwin, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, 1985
the cult leader took advantage of the malleable, compliant personalities of his followers
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Payrolls are the most malleable line item in this regard. —Ivan Illan, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Some wealthy individuals and groups have proposed and supported anti-fossil fuel company litigation to malleable state attorney generals in the hope that one or more of the lawsuits will help cripple the companies. —Ed Hirs, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 But anthropologists have shown that paternity and fatherhood are malleable concepts that both women and men have used to their advantage. —Brooke Scelza, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024 Everything to know about controversial Donald Trump film The Apprentice starring Sebastian Stan As a wheeler and dealer, Cohn covets his power and champions the notion that truth is malleable, embracing his status as an indicted and embattled legal figure. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for malleable 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English malliable, from Medieval Latin malleabilis, from malleare to hammer, from Latin malleus hammer — more at maul
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of malleable was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near malleable
Cite this Entry
“Malleable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malleable. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 3 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences
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