mutability

English

Etymology

From Middle English mutabilite, from Old French mutabilite, from Latin mutabilitas; equivalent to mutable +‎ -ity.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌmjuːtəˈbɪlɪti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌmjutəˈbɪlɪti/, [ˌmjuɾəˈbɪləɾi]
• Hyphenation: mu‧ta‧bil‧i‧ty

Noun

mutability (countable and uncountable, plural mutabilities)

1. The quality or state of being mutable.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     He did indeed account somewhat unfairly for this sudden change; for besides some hard and unjust surmises concerning female fickleness and mutability, he began to suspect that he owed this want of civility to his want of horses […]

   • 1819 November 10, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “The Mutability of Literature”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number IV, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 23:

     There rise authors now and then, who seem proof against the mutability of language, because they have rooted themselves in the unchanging principles of human nature.

Translations

quality or state of being mutable

• Bulgarian: променливост (bg) f (promenlivost), изменчивост (bg) f (izmenčivost)
• Finnish: muuttuvuus
• Galician: mutabilidade (gl) f
• German: Mutabilität (de) f, Veränderbarkeit (de) f, Veränderlichkeit (de) f
• Italian: mutevolezza (it) f
• Manx: yn-arreeaght f
• Middle English: mutabilite, unstedefastnesse
• Spanish: mutabilidad f