Fluidity

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /fluːˈɪd.ə.ti/

Definitions

1. The characteristic of moving smoothly or being able to change easily ; the state or property of a substance that allows it to flow like a liquid
2. A state marked by graceful or effortless motion or progression ; the physical trait of flowing and lacking fixed shape in materials
3. The capacity for seamless transition and adaptability in motion or ideas ; the condition of matter that enables continuous movement without rigidity

Etymology: "Fluidity" came into English by borrowing from French "fluidité", which is itself built from Latin "fluidus", "flowing", the adjective derived from "fluere", "to flow". The Latin root is the same one behind "fluent", "influence" and "affluence", all words that describe something moving or pouring along. The noun's meaning has widened considerably from its physical starting point. Its earliest sense was the quality of a liquid or gas that lets it flow, the opposite of solidity. Over time the same idea was applied to anything that resists fixed form: a changing situation, a flexible mind, a shifting identity. Today the word can describe a person who adapts easily, a way of moving through space, or a state of continuous change, so a term first used for water now covers abstract change as well.

Synonyms: flow, liquidity, smoothness

Antonyms: stability, rigidity