Meanings
comparative more labile · superlative most labile
- Liable to slip, err, fall, or apostatize.
- chemistryOf a compound or bond, kinetically unstable; rapidly cleaved (and possibly reformed).
Water ligands typically bind metals in a labile fashion and are rapidly interchanged in aqueous solution.
1 more example
Certain drugs can be conjugated to polymer molecules with a linkage that is labile at low pH to effect controlled release in a cellular endosome.
- human sciencesOf a verb, able to change valency without changing its form; especially, able to be used both transitively and intransitively without changing its form.
Synonyms: ergative, ambivalent, diffused
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveApt or likely to change.
adjectiveOf a verb, able to change valency without changing its form; especially, able to be used both transitively and intransitively without changing its form.
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(chemistry, physics, biology) readily undergoing change or breakdown
adjectiveliable to change
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)leh₂b-der.?
- Latinlābor
- Latinlābilis
- Middle Frenchlabile
- Englishlabile
Borrowed from Middle French labile, borrowed from Latin lābilis (“slipping, transitent”).
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian лаби́лен, неустойчи́в
- лаби́лен (labílen)liable to slip
- неустойчи́в (neustojčív)liable to slip
- лаби́лен (labílen)kinetically unstable
Catalan làbil
- làbilkinetically unstable
Czech labilní, labilní
- labilníliable to slip
- labilníkinetically unstable
Finnish labiili, labiili
- labiililiable to slip
- labiilikinetically unstable
French labile
- labilekinetically unstable
German labil
- labilliable to slip
Italian labile
- labilekinetically unstable
Polish labilny, labilny
- labilnyliable to slip
- labilnykinetically unstable
- chwiejnykinetically unstable
- niestabilnykinetically unstable
- zmiennykinetically unstable
- labilnyable to change valency without changing its form
Spanish lábil, lábil
- lábilliable to slip
- lábilkinetically unstable
Swedish labil
- labilliable to slip
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with labile
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
labile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/labile
“labile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/labile. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “labile,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/labile.
Source: labile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.