# malleable/adjustable



## kansi

On the flip side a growing class of startups are beginning to focus more on simplifying life for companies with subscription fatigue offering more all-in-one platforms that handle several facets of workplace productivity.

ClickUp belongs to the latter camp, selling a $5 per month per user plan (billed annually), that gives people access to task management software, docs and wikis, chat and integrations with a host of other popular tools. It’s a robust set of functionality that is *malleable* depending on the task at hand.

Productivity platform ClickUp raises $35 million from Craft Ventures – TechCrunch

What's the difference in nuance between that malleable and adjestable?


----------



## e2efour

I think you mean _adaptable_ rather than _adjustable._

There is not a lot of difference between _malleable_ and _adaptable_, except that the latter is more common.
_Malleable_ has more the meaning of able to be manipulated or shaped by hand, but it is not being used here, it would seem, of physical objects that can be physically changed.

Have you looked at the synonyms for _malleable_ in the forum dictionary?


----------



## much_rice

kansi said:


> What's the difference in nuance between that malleable and adj*u*stable?


If the author had said "adjustable," I would have imagined that the boss chooses certain settings and features for ClickUp and then passes this "adjusted" version on to his workforce.

"Malleable" implies that ClickUp can change at any moment depending on a worker's needs, which seems to be the meaning here: "malleable _depending on the task at hand_." A worker might change her ClickUp's functions several times a day.

The main nuance is metaphorical: "adjustable" evokes hard, rigid objects being slotted into place. "Malleable" is for soft or moist objects, like rubber or clay.


----------



## Barque

kansi said:


> adjestable


Please note it's _adj*u*stable_. Both your OP and the thread title spell it wrong.

Do you mean "adjustable" or "adaptable"?


----------



## Ponyprof

Wet clay is malleable. The behaviour of young children is malleable. The skull of a baby is malleable. The word suggests a softness that can take many forms and be altered by outside force.

A belt is adjustable. Components of car engines can be adjustable. An airplane seat is adjustable. The word suggests a certain range of set inbuilt options that can be altered by the user.

A person can be adaptable. That suggests they themselves alter their behaviour appropriately to different situations. I suppose you could use it to refer to objects or machines that you could turn to different uses.


----------



## lingobingo

*Malleable* is by no means the most obvious word to use in that context, and (since a *malleable* person is one you can bend to your will, i.e. manipulate) it risks giving the impression that users can influence how the system works, which I doubt is the intention. Either *flexible* or *adaptable* is probably what most writers would have used in that context, according to which applies. But perhaps the intention was simply to avoid repetition of *flexible*, which occurs in the quote that follows that sentence.

There is no such word as adjectable (as in the thread title). And adjustable does not fit this context.


----------



## kansi

Ponyprof said:


> Wet clay is malleable. The behaviour of young children is malleable. The skull of a baby is malleable. The word suggests a softness that can take many forms and be altered by outside force.


So the word was used to make it sound Clickup can change to quite various versions depending on a worker's need?


----------



## kansi

lingobingo said:


> But perhaps the intention was simply to avoid repetition of *flexible*, which occurs in the quote that follows that sentence.


It sounds like it should be more malleable vs
flexible.
It’s a robust set of functionality that is *flexible* depending on the task at hand.
It’s a robust set of functionality that is *malleable* depending on the task at hand.
What's the difference in meaning between the two?


----------



## lingobingo

flexible — it bends / it’s capable of bending
malleable — it can be bent and shaped by people or machines


----------



## Ponyprof

I would say flexible means a range of motion within set limits. A ballerina or a gymnast is very flexible. Most of us need to do more yoga or stretching as part of our fitness routine to become more flexible.

Malleable as I said above means something that can be shaped in any direction and will hold the shape. Wet clay is malleable. The skull of a new born baby is malleable.

We would not call a gymnast malleable or wet clay flexible.

These are how the words are used in their original sense to describe physical attributes.

When words that are meant to describe physical attributes get used to describe systems (computer systems, office organization, politicsl systems, etc) the application is less precise.

You could call the same computer system flexible, malleable, adjustable, adaptable, and several other adjectives, without anyone flagging the sentence as incorrect.  The different words carry slightly different implications, of course.

In relation to human systems, or to people, some of these adjectives have become used in some situations.

You can have a flexible work space or a flexible management style. You can have adjustable chairs and desks. 

I don't think any human system or adult person would be described as "malleable" in a positive sense. We tend to want systems and adults and employees to be flexible and adaptable, meaning that they can adjust themselves within pre determined limits and guidelines. No one wants a malleable employee.

On the other hand we may well say the personality and behaviour of a small child is still malleable.


----------



## kansi

Ponyprof said:


> You could call the same computer system flexible, malleable, adjustable, adaptable, and several other adjectives, without anyone flagging the sentence as incorrect. The different words carry slightly different implications, of course.
> 
> In relation to human systems, or to people, some of these adjectives have become used in some situations.
> 
> You can have a flexible work space or a flexible management style. You can have adjustable chairs and desks.
> 
> I don't think any human system or adult person would be described as "malleable" in a positive sense. We tend to want systems and adults and employees to be flexible and adaptable, meaning that they can adjust themselves within pre determined limits and guidelines. No one wants a malleable employee.


I see..I've got the sense of malleable and flexible.
Is it just fine to say "this computer system is malleable" to mean it's super flexible that it can change its setting for each person?It sounds like emphasising how flexible the computer system is or mean it's more flexible than saying "this computer system is flexible"?


----------



## kansi

lingobingo said:


> flexible — it bends / it’s capable of bending
> malleable — it can be bent and shaped by people or machines


Is paper flexble or malleable?
Because it can be in different shapes and it can fold many times and in different ways.Is it just "foldable"?


----------



## lingobingo

kansi said:


> Is paper flexble or malleable?
> Because it can be in different shapes and it can fold many times and in different ways.Is it just "foldable"?


There are different types of paper, of course. But in general, I would not describe paper as either flexible or malleable. They’re not words we apply to that kind of material. Certainly paper is foldable. But otherwise, the best adjective I can come up with is pliable, and that’s by no means perfect either.


----------



## Packard

Ponyprof said:


> Wet clay is malleable. The behaviour of young children is malleable. The skull of a baby is malleable. The word suggests a softness that can take many forms and be altered by outside force.
> 
> A belt is adjustable. Components of car engines can be adjustable. An airplane seat is adjustable. The word suggests a certain range of set inbuilt options that can be altered by the user.
> 
> A person can be adaptable. That suggests they themselves alter their behaviour appropriately to different situations. I suppose you could use it to refer to objects or machines that you could turn to different uses.


   

I agree.  "Malleable" is used metaphorically.  It means that it can be shaped to the needs of the task at hand.  

Farriers used "malleable" steel for horseshoes.  The application of heat and a hammer and some bending tools allows them to fit the horseshoe to the specific horse.

In this case the it references the software that is "malleable" in the sense that it has the capability to be modified to fit a large number of applications.  It is  not "one size fits all", it is "we can make this work for your business" mentality.


----------



## kansi

lingobingo said:


> There are different types of paper, of course. But in general, I would not describe paper as either flexible or malleable. They’re not words we apply to that kind of material. Certainly paper is foldable. But otherwise, the best adjective I can come up with is pliable, and that’s by no means perfect either.


You mean pliable ,which has this meaning,
right?

easily bent; flexible;
supple:soft, pliable leather.


----------



## Packard

kansi said:


> You mean pliable ,which has this meaning,
> right?
> 
> easily bent; flexible;
> supple:soft, pliable leather.


I think “malleable” suggests a material that is rigid, but with effort can still be shaped. The steel in horseshoes that I gave as an example above would be malleable.   That would be on the hard end of the spectrum; modeling clay would at the soft end of the spectrum and I would also call it malleable.


----------



## kansi

Packard said:


> the software that is "malleable"


Isn't this kind of software also called "flexible softwares"?


----------



## kansi

Packard said:


> I think “malleable” suggests a material that is rigid, but with effort can still be shaped.


you aren't saying that something soft can't be  malleable,right?


----------



## heypresto

kansi said:


> you aren't saying that something soft *can'* be malleable,right?



Do you mean 'can' or 'can't'?


----------



## kansi

heypresto said:


> Do you mean 'can' or 'can't'?


Sorry it's can't.


----------



## lingobingo

In summary:

The words *pliable* and *flexible* relate to being supple, having an inherent ability to bend. They are widely used figuratively as well as literally. (As an adjective, *plastic* means the same, but in general it is only used in technical contexts.)

Similar words relate to the ability to be worked or moulded into a different form. *Malleable* (literally: hammerable) falls into this category and is used both literally and figuratively. In my opinion, it is misused in the OP example.

*Adjustable* is an entirely different sort of word. It means “that can be adjusted”. There are lots of words that mean adjust (modify, alter, tweak) in one way or another. This rambling thread is not the place to go into that.


----------



## heypresto

kansi said:


> Sorry it's can't.





kansi said:


> you aren't saying that something soft can't be malleable,right?


Of course he's not saying that, he's saying the opposite. Read on to the last part of Packard's comment: " . . .  modeling clay would at the soft end of the spectrum and I would also call it malleable."

And re-read Ponyprof's explanation in post #5 and repeated in #10: "Wet clay is malleable. The behaviour of young children is malleable. The skull of a baby is malleable. The word suggests a softness that can take many forms and be altered by outside force."


----------



## kansi

heypresto said:


> Of course he's not saying that, he's saying the opposite. Read on to the last part of Packard's comment: " . . .  modeling clay would at the soft end of the spectrum and I would also call it malleable."
> 
> And re-read Ponyprof's explanation in post #5 and repeated in #10: "Wet clay is malleable. The behaviour of young children is malleable. The skull of a baby is malleable. The word suggests a softness that can take many forms and be altered by outside force."


I think I understand the literal use of malleable and flexible.
But when it comes to the figurative use of them I am not confident to use it right. In the example of OP sentence, it says that some software is malleable and it probably changes to fit everybody's need.But what about "flexible softwares"?What's the difference saying "some software is malleable" and "some software is flexible"?


----------



## lingobingo

Figurative uses of those words:

*flexible* — can easily be changed to how you want it (in almost any context)

*malleable* — usually of a person, meaning they are weak-willed and can be manipulated by the unscrupulous


----------



## Packard

kansi said:


> I think I understand the literal use of malleable and flexible.
> But when it comes to the figurative use of them I am not confident to use it right. In the example of OP sentence, it says that some software is malleable and it probably changes to fit everybody's need.But what about "flexible softwares"?What's the difference saying "some software is malleable" and "some software is flexible"?


"Malleable" as LingoBingo said " In my opinion, it is misused in the OP example. "   

Better phrasing might be:

Original:   It’s a robust set of functionality that is *malleable* depending on the task at hand. 

_It offers a high level of functionality that is adaptable to a wide variety of tasks._

(I know that "robust" is used in these situations but it strikes me as a poor word choice too.

Robust definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary


*robust*
_
 (roʊbʌst  , roʊbʌst  )

1. adjective
Someone or something that is robust is very strong or healthy.
 More women than men go to the doctor. Perhaps men are more robust or worry less? 
 We've always specialised in making very robust, simply designed machinery. 

robustly  adverb
 He became robustly healthy. 

robustness  uncountable noun
 ...the robustness of diesel engines.  [+ of]

2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Robust views or opinions are strongly held and forcefully expressed.

 A British Foreign Office minister has made a robust defence of the agreement. 
 He has the keen eye and robust approach needed. 
robustly  adverb

 In the decisions we have to make about Europe, we have to defend our position very robustly indeed. 
robustness  uncountable noun
 ...a prominent industrialist renowned for the robustness of his right-wing views.  [+ of] _


----------



## kansi

lingobingo said:


> Figurative uses of those words:
> 
> *flexible* — can easily be changed to how you want it (in almost any context)
> 
> *malleable* — usually of a person, meaning they are weak-willed and can be manipulated by the unscrupulous


I see. Although I guess the op sentence was going to use in a positive sense, but now that I read your explanation, that malleable doesn't seem to mean in the way it was supposed to mean. It sounds negative ,which doesn't go along with the context.

And it was probably better to use "flexible"or "adjustable" to mean what it was supposed to mean?


----------



## kansi

Packard said:


> _It offers a high level of functionality that is adaptable to a wide variety of tasks._


This is what the sentence was supposed to mean.But the malleable version sounds negative and that's probably not what the writer wants it to sound,right?


----------



## Packard

kansi said:


> This is what the sentence was supposed to mean.But the malleable version sounds negative and that's probably not what the writer wants it to sound,right?


It was just a poor word choice by someone writing and hoping to sound a bit "technical".  My version was what I would call "plain language" English, though "functionality" does sound like jargon here (to me).


----------



## kansi

Packard said:


> sound a bit "technical".


Does it acctually sound negative?


----------



## Packard

kansi said:


> Does it acctually sound negative?


It seems you are seeing the "mal"  as the root word here.  The Latin root word for malleable is "male" meaning "bad" or "evil".

The root word for "malleable" is shown below.  It has nothing at all to do with "mal" or "bad/evil".

malleable | Origin and meaning of malleable by Online Etymology Dictionary

*malleable (adj.)*
_late 14c., "capable of being shaped or extended by hammering or rolling," from Old French malleable and directly from Medieval Latin malleabilis, from malleare "to beat with a hammer," from Latin malleus "hammer" (from PIE root *mele- "to crush, grind"). Figurative sense, of persons, "capable of being adapted by outside influence" is recorded from 1610s._


----------



## kansi

Packard said:


> It seems you are seeing the "mal" as the root word here. The Latin root word for malleable is "male" meaning "bad" or "evil".


Sorry that isn't the reason I thought so, but these explanations.


*malleable* — usually of a person, meaning they are weak-willed and can be manipulated by the unscrupulous

I don't think any human system or adult person would be described as "malleable" in a positive sense. We tend to want systems and adults and employees to be flexible and adaptable, meaning that they can adjust themselves within pre determined limits and guidelines. No one wants a malleable employee.


----------



## Packard

kansi said:


> Sorry that isn't the reason I thought so, but these explanations.
> 
> 
> *malleable* — usually of a person, meaning they are weak-willed and can be manipulated by the unscrupulous
> 
> I don't think any human system or adult person would be described as "malleable" in a positive sense. We tend to want systems and adults and employees to be flexible and adaptable, meaning that they can adjust themselves within pre determined limits and guidelines. No one wants a malleable employee.


Not true.  Malleable can apply to good situations.  
_
For years I was stubborn and angry, but it turned out that I was malleable under the right circumstances and I mellowed out greatly._

https://www.jhsph.edu/research/cent...arly-intervention/Publications/periodic95.pdf

_Development and Malleability from Childhood to Adulthood 

This proposed work represents the next stage of an ongoing prospective study of variation in life course development and its malleability from early childhood to young adulthood. The focus of this research is on the relationship between success in responding to the social task demands individuals encounter over the life course and their psychological well-being (PWB). _


----------



## Roxxxannne

A malleable object to me is something with a relatively undefined shape that you can hammer, squeeze, press, push, etc. I can make a spherical chunk of malleable clay into a bowl or several beads or a long narrow cylinder.  A malleable child is someone who has no definite "shape" to their personality yet.
Something that's flexible retains its basic shape, although it can be bent, twisted, etc.  I can tie a knot in a flexible piece of wire, or I can squash it together into a mass of wire, but it still retains the shape, millimeter by millimeter, of the original wire.  It doesn't become an amorphous mass.  A flexible person has preferences and habits and can adjust them depending on the situation.
To me, all-in-one platforms like ClickUp are flexible.  The code they are written in is malleable.


----------



## kansi

Packard said:


> For years I was stubborn and angry, but it turned out that I was *malleable* under the right circumstances and I mellowed out greatly.


What does this malleable mean here? it's just flexible?


----------



## kansi

Roxxxannne said:


> A malleable object to me is something with a relatively undefined shape that you can hammer, squeeze, press, push, etc. I can make a spherical chunk of malleable clay into a bowl or several beads or a long narrow cylinder.  A malleable child is someone who has no definite "shape" to their personality yet.
> Something that's flexible retains its basic shape, although it can be bent, twisted, etc.  I can tie a knot in a flexible piece of wire, or I can squash it together into a mass of wire, but it still retains the shape, millimeter by millimeter, of the original wire.  It doesn't become an amorphous mass.  A flexible person has preferences and habits and can adjust them depending on the situation.
> To me, all-in-one platforms like ClickUp are flexible.  The code they are written in is malleable.


I see..it's just a set of various features so that would fit everybody's need.If it were really malleable, it would be like a softweve whose code we can change to make changes to fundamental parts of the software.Is this what you meant?


----------



## Roxxxannne

kansi said:


> I see..it's just a set of various features so that would fit everybody's need.If it were really malleable, it would be like a softweve whose code we can change to make changes to fundamental parts of the software.Is this what you meant?


Yes, if one accepts that under ordinary everyday conditions clay is malleable and metal wire is flexible, then code would be malleable and the software would be flexible.


----------



## Packard

kansi said:


> What does this malleable mean here? it's just flexible?


A spring is flexible.  You can bend it and it will return to its original shape.  Malleable here means that the change will stay in place until some new forces change it again.

A child's personality is malleable.  It may change several times as the child matures. Usually the personality of an adult is more stable and less malleable than a child's.


----------



## kansi

Roxxxannne said:


> Yes, if one accepts that under ordinary everyday conditions clay is malleable and metal wire is flexible, then code would be malleable and the software would be flexible.


When we bend clay and metal wire, I think they both stay the shape.But clay is malleable and metal wire is flexible?


----------



## kansi

Packard said:


> A spring is flexible. You can bend it and it will return to its original shape. Malleable here means that the change will stay in place until some new forces change it again.


I see..so that malleable in your first example implys that under the right circumstance when the person is malleable, his changed personality will keep to stay for some time?


----------



## Ponyprof

kansi said:


> When we bend clay and metal wire, I think they both stay the shape.But clay is malleable and metal wire is flexible?



Yes.

But when these words start to get applied to intangible objects, they are being used metaphorically.

Much writing about technology is linguistically imprecise even if it is technically accurate. This is particularly true of news clips about business and computers. This stuff gets tossed off to deadline with very little editing. It matters that the names, numbers, etc. are accurate. But no one is editing it for the most felicitous adjectives. This is fast, throwaway, writing meant for immediate consumption. 

Most of such writing obviously follows the basic rules of English. But when you find a slight oddity like "malleable" rather than "flexible," this is usually just the hasty choice of some freelance writer trying to meet deadline and bang out a piece of copy from a press release sent by the company. It's possible the usage even came from the companies own public relations people.


----------



## kansi

Ponyprof said:


> Yes.


The only difference I can notice between cray and metal wire is that cray is like semi-liquid but wire metal isn't so cray can be literaly in any shape but wire can't but can be in many shapes.

Do I see the difference correct?
And such a thing as can be literaly in any shape is malleable and such a thing as can be only in many shapes is wire metal?


----------



## Packard

Except that the word "plastic" has been co-opted by the plastic injection molding industry, it would have made a fine substitute for "malleable".

Plastic definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary


4. adjective
Something that is plastic is soft and can easily be made into different shapes.
 The mud is smooth, soft, and plastic as butter.
*Synonyms: * pliant, soft, flexible, supple More Synonyms of *plastic*


plasticity (plæstɪsɪti ) uncountable noun
 ...the plasticity of the flesh.  [+ of]
*Synonyms: *pliability, flexibility, suppleness, malleability    More Synonyms of *plastic*


----------

