inflexible
UK[ɪnˈflɛksɪb(ə)l]US[ɪnˈflɛksəb(ə)l]
adj
Not able to be changed or adapted; unwilling to change one's opinions, decisions, etc.
adj
Not able to be bent; stiff and rigid.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
flex
ible
in
not
flex
bend
ible
able to be
Etymology
The word "inflexible" is a direct borrowing from Latin inflexibilis, which itself was formed within Latin from the components in- (not) and flexibilis (pliant, bendable). The core root, flectere (to bend), is of Proto-Indo-European origin, likely from bʰleg- meaning "to strike" or "to beat", a forceful action that can imply a change in direction or shape. Over time, the literal sense of physical bending evolved metaphorically to describe adaptability of the mind or conditions. Thus, "inflexible" logically progressed from describing a material that cannot be physically bent to characterizing a person, rule, or system that cannot be changed or persuaded.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + flex (bend) + ible (able to be)
- in: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "not" or "without".
- flex: Latin origin, from the root flectere meaning "to bend". In English, it appears directly as a substring in words like flex, flexible, reflect.
- ible: Latin suffix -ibilis, forming adjectives meaning "able to be", "capable of", or "worthy of".
Examples
The company's inflexible policies made it difficult to adapt to new market trends.
The material became inflexible in the extreme cold.
He was inflexible in his opposition to the proposed law.