Flexibly means being able to adapt, adjust, or change according to different situations or needs. When you approach something flexibly, you're willing to modify your plans or methods rather than sticking rigidly to one way of doing things.

A teacher who works flexibly might adjust lesson plans when students need extra time on a challenging concept, or switch activities if the class seems restless. A basketball coach thinks flexibly when she changes strategy mid-game based on how the other team plays. When you're working on a group project and someone suggests a better approach than your original idea, responding flexibly means being open to trying the new method.

The word comes from flexible, which describes something that can bend without breaking, like a rubber band or a willow branch. Just as a flexible object bends and springs back, a flexible person or approach can adjust to circumstances and still work well.

Being able to work or think flexibly is valuable because life rarely goes exactly according to plan. Rigid thinking can lead to frustration when things change unexpectedly. Someone who can respond flexibly to challenges, whether that's a rained-out field trip or a substitute teacher with different rules, tends to handle surprises more successfully than someone who insists everything must go exactly as originally planned.