mutable

adjective

mu·​ta·​ble ˈmyü-tə-bəl How to pronounce mutable (audio)
1
: prone to change : inconstant
mutable opinions
2
a
: capable of change or of being changed
mutable laws
b
: capable of or liable to mutation
mutable vowels
a mutable gene
mutability noun
mutably adverb

Examples of mutable in a Sentence

the government's mutable economic policies a politician with very mutable positions on all the issues
Recent Examples on the Web And James’s suave, deceptively mutable and poignant baritone is a beautiful complement for her. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2024 Gemini Airy Gemini is another mutable sign that Pisces doesn’t always mesh well with. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 This concerns technological advancement and the ethical and practical implications of deploying AI in a world where data is as mutable as public opinion. Denis Mandich, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 But both novels take place in the land of medical emergency, where information is difficult to parse, highly mutable, and rarely coheres into a single, definitive narrative. Katie Kitamura, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Words, words, words: Shakespeare’s words contain multitudes of meaning, ideas and emotions that in my Black body become mutable and ancestral — shifting with time, intention, context, perception and culture. John Douglas Thompson, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2023 Determining how the mutable shade works within your personal palette is a great way to prepare for a brand new year in beauty. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2023 Porsche is planning to cultivate addiction via dynamic NFTs – those where the token’s traits are mutable post-minting – drip-feeding a stream of variations by artist Patrick Vogel, with which to update the ‘origin NFT’ (an image of a white Porsche 911 Carrera) over several months. Katie Baron, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023 As a bonus, the platinum dye job proved mutable enough for the costume changes that Sin City demands. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mutable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin mutabilis, from mutare to change; akin to Old English mīthan to conceal, Sanskrit mināti he exchanges, deceives

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mutable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mutable

Cite this Entry

“Mutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mutable

adjective
mu·​ta·​ble ˈmyüt-ə-bəl How to pronounce mutable (audio)
1
: likely to change often : inconstant
2
a
: capable of change
b
: able or likely to mutate
mutability noun

Medical Definition

mutable

adjective
mu·​ta·​ble ˈmyüt-ə-bəl How to pronounce mutable (audio)
1
: capable of change or of being changed in form, quality, or nature
2
: capable of or liable to mutation
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