pliantly

Pliantly is an adverb that denotes performing an action in a pliant or flexible manner. Literally, it can describe something that bends easily under pressure, such as a reed or willow bent pliantly by the wind. Figuratively, it can describe a person or stance that yields readily to influence or guidance, such as agreeing to a plan pliantly.

Origin and form: Pliantly derives from the adjective pliant, which comes from Latin plicans, the present participle of plicare “to fold,” via Old French pliant and Middle English. The sense of flexibility extended from physical bending to moral or social pliability over time.

Usage notes: Pliantly is relatively formal and somewhat archaic in contemporary speech and is most common in descriptive or literary prose. It can carry a positive nuance of adaptability or a negative nuance of excessive submission, depending on context. It is closely related to synonyms such as pliant, pliability, pliable, yielding, or compliant.

See also: pliant, pliancy, pliable. Examples include: “The metal wire bent pliantly under the hammer.” “She answered pliantly to every question.”