agile

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɑel/ UK /ˈæd͡ʒ.aɪl/ See IPA manual

Freq #20253

Meanings

1

adj
Able to move quickly and easily.

The cat was agile enough to leap from the fence to the roof.
2

adj
Quick to think and understand.

Solving these puzzles keeps your mind agile.
3

adj
Relating to a flexible, step-by-step method of developing software in close collaboration between teams.

The team switched to agile methods to release updates faster.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · able to move quickly and... quick nimble

2 adj · quick to think and understand. nimble

More active alert brisk lively

Opposites

unagile

Word family

Derived forms agilelyagilenessagilistagilitynonagilesuperagile

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

agile mind
an ability to think quickly and move easily between ideas

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Agile entered English in the late Middle Ages and belongs to the family of Latin agere, meaning “to do” or “to drive”; its sense is explained as “able to do things.”

Etymology

From earlier agil, borrowed from Latin agilis (“agile, nimble”), from agō (“do, act; move”). See agent.

*h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European agilis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# agile

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈæd͡ʒ.ɑel/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈæd͡ʒ.aɪl/
**Frequency rank:** 20253

## Meanings
1. Able to move quickly and easily.
2. Quick to think and understand.
3. Relating to a flexible, step-by-step method of developing software in close collaboration between teams.

## Examples
- The cat was agile enough to leap from the fence to the roof.
- Solving these puzzles keeps your mind agile.
- The team switched to agile methods to release updates faster.

## Synonyms
- active
- alert
- brisk
- lively
- nimble
- quick

## Antonyms
- unagile

## Derived Forms
- agilely
- agileness
- agilist
- agility
- nonagile
- superagile

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂eǵ-
- Root: agilis

## Etymology
From earlier agil, borrowed from Latin agilis (“agile, nimble”), from agō (“do, act; move”). See agent.

## AI Etymology
Agile is from earlier agil, borrowed from Latin agilis (“agile, nimble”), from agō (“do, act; move”). See agent. Important recorded forms include *h₂eǵ- (Proto-Indo-European) and agilis (Latin). Current senses include able to move quickly and easily, quick to think and understand, and relating to a flexible, step-by-step method of developing software in close collaboration between teams. The wider family includes derived forms such as agilely, agileness, agilist, agility, and nonagile.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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