Rigidity

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɪdɪti/

Definitions

1. The state of being unable to bend or adapt, encompassing both physical stiffness in materials and an inflexible attitude in behavior or thinking
2. An attribute characterized by a lack of flexibility, indicating both the resistance of substances to deformation and the unyielding nature of someone's mindset
3. The quality of being firm or unbending in physical form ; the characteristic of being unwilling or unable to change ideas or behaviors

Etymology: "Rigidity" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "rigid," which English took from Latin "rigidus" (stiff, unbending), with the suffix "-ity," which English took from the Latin "-itas" used to turn adjectives into nouns of quality. The Latin noun "rigiditas" carried the same sense, and the English word is a direct descendant of it, so the core idea of stiffness is built into both halves. The two senses in the definition grew from that single root. The physical sense, a material resisting bending or deformation, is the older and more literal one, while the figurative sense, an unyielding mind or attitude, extends the same image of something that will not bend. The word thus describes a bar of steel and a stubborn person in the same breath.

Synonyms: stiffness, inflexibility

Antonyms: flexibility, softness