agile means having the faculty of quick motion in the limbs; apt or ready to move; loose-jointed. It carries an Arena rating of 1414, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, agile ranks #44 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #1,157 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #3,019 of 17,130 for Most Ingenious Words, #6,929 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words.
agile is pronounced /ˈæd͡ʒ.aɪl/.
Why “agile” is a great word
Able to move with quick, easy grace, or denoting a method of software development that prioritizes iterative cycles and adaptive flexibility over rigid planning. From Middle French agile and directly from Latin agilis ('nimble, quick'), from agēre ('to do, act, drive'). Unlike 'nimble' (which implies a deft lightness of the hands or feet) or 'active' (which suggests mere motion), 'agile' carries the deeper sense of an entire system—a body, a mind, a team—poised for effortless, intelligent response. It is the weasel reversing direction mid-leap, the jazz bassist finding the next chord while the first still hangs in the air, the team that ships flawed code on Monday and its replacement by Wednesday—a philosophy of movement that accepts flux not as disruption but as the very ground of progress, where the capacity to turn is more vital than the speed to run.
Etymology
From earlier agil, borrowed from Latin agilis (“agile, nimble”), from agō (“do, act; move”). See agent.
adj
- Having the faculty of quick motion in the limbs; apt or ready to move; loose-jointed.e.g.“an agile creature”
- Characterised by quick motion.e.g.“agile movements”
- Of or relating to agile software development, a technique for iterative and incremental development of software involving collaboration between teams.e.g.“agile methods”
noun
- Agile software development.
Words closest in meaning
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