# pliant
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English pliaunt, from Old French ploiant, present participle of ploiier (“to fold”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈplaɪənt/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪənt

### Adjective

pliant (comparative more pliant, superlative most pliant)
* Capable of plying or bending; readily yielding to force or pressure without breaking.
    Synonyms: flexible, pliable, lithe, limber, plastic
    a pliant thread
    pliant wax
** 1917 April, “The Warblers of North America”, in The National Geographic Magazine:Whether in its northern or southern home, the black-throated blue warbler builds its nest of bark, roots, and other pliant material, loose and rather bulky, in a variety of saplings, bushes, and weeds, but always a few inches or a few feet from the ground.
* (figuratively) Easily influenced; tractable.
** 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [R. Robinson] for William Iones […], →OCLC, [Act I], signature A3, recto:I muſt haue wanton Poets, pleaſant wits, Muſitians, that with touching of a ſtring May draw the pliant king which way I pleaſe: […]
** 1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 11, recto:[A]nd it is without all controuerſie, that learning doth make the minds of men gentle, generous, maniable, and pliant to gouernment; whereas Ignorance makes them churliſh, thwart, and mutinous; […]
** 1839, William Gilmore Simms, “The Brooklet”, in Southern Passages and Pictures‎, New York: George Adlard, page 2:Yet there was pleasant sadness that became Meetly the gentle heart and pliant sense, In that same idlesse—gazing on that brook
** 1988, A. J. Langguth, Patriots:[The king] had a pliant prime minister and a general who was telling him what he wanted to hear.
** 2023 November 4, Madhumita Murgia, Anna Gross, Cristina Criddle, “Summit exposes tensions over AI development despite emollient Chinese tone”, in FT Weekend, page 12:The person said one of the reasons the Chinese had been so pliant in development of a joint position on AI governance was that “playing nice” and acting as a “responsible partner” could help foster conversations about relaxation of US trade barriers later down the line.

#### Derived terms

* pliantness

#### Translations
### References

* ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “pliant”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

### Anagrams

* -platin, Taplin, plaint, platin

## French
### Participle

pliant
* present participle of plier

### Adjective

pliant (feminine pliante, masculine plural pliants, feminine plural pliantes)
* pliant
    vélo pliant ― folding bicycle

#### Derived terms

* chaise pliante
* lit pliant

### Noun

pliant m (plural pliants)
* (colloquial) folding chair, seat, etc.

### Further reading

* “pliant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Anagrams

* pilant, plaint

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French pliant.

### Adjective

pliant m or n (feminine singular pliantă, masculine plural plianți, feminine and neuter plural pliante)
* folding