Formabilities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The potential or capability to take on various shapes or appearances
2. The quality of being adaptable and versatile in different contexts or uses
3. The ability to be molded or shaped for particular purposes or functions

Etymology: "Formabilities" is simply the plural of "formability," the noun for the quality of being capable of being shaped. That noun is built from "form," which came into English from Old French "forme" and ultimately from Latin "forma," meaning shape or outline, plus the suffix "-ability," which attaches to verbs to name the capacity to undergo an action, as in "readability" or "workability." Put together, the word describes how readily something can take a shape. The plural form adds a little nuance. Speakers use it when they want to point to several distinct capacities for shaping, such as the different ways a material or person can be molded for different purposes. Because the base noun already names a general quality, the plural is less common and tends to appear in technical or descriptive contexts.

Synonyms: malleabilities, pliabilities, flexibilities

Antonyms: rigidities, inflexibilities