labile

(lā'bīl', -bəl)
adj.

1. Open to change; adaptable: an emotionally labile person.
2. Chemistry. Constantly undergoing or likely to undergo change; unstable: a labile compound.

[Middle English labil, forgetful, wandering, from Old French labile, from Late Latin lābilis, apt to slip, from lābī, to slip.]

lability la·bil'i·ty (-bĭl'ĭ-tē) n.

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Describing a chemical compound in which certain atoms or groups can easily be replaced by other atoms or groups. The term is applied to coordination complexes in which ligands can easily be replaced by other ligands in an equilibrium reaction.

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IN BRIEF: adj. - Open to change; (chemistry, physics, biology) readily undergoing change or breakdown.

Tutor's tip: With "labile" (flexible) lips the flautist lured a sweet "labial" (of the lips) hum from her instrument and received a label (identification) of expert from the critics.

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1. describing a chemical compound that is prone to spontaneous change or decomposition; relatively unstable.
2. describing an atomic or molecular grouping in a chemical compound that usually readily dissociates from the compound; loosely attached.
3. describing a chemical bond that very easily ruptures or is ruptured.

—lability n.

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The quality of being labile.

(lā'bīl)
adj

Unstable, as labile fever.

For a list of words related to labile, see:

• Submissive, Uncertain, or Tentative

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See words rhyming with "labile."

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - ustabil, labil

Nederlands (Dutch)
labiel, niet stabiel, wankelbaar

Français (French)
adj. - labile

Deutsch (German)
adj. - unbeständig, labil, gleitend

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ασταθής

Italiano (Italian)
labile

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - instável

Русский (Russian)
неустойчивый, лабильный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - lábil, inestable, precario

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - instabil, labil

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
不安定的, 易发生变化的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 不安定的, 易發生變化的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 변하기 쉬운, 불안정한, 유연한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 変わりやすい, 不安定な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) متغير, قابل للتغيير, غير مستقر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮לא יציב, רופף, נוטה למעוד‬

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