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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Unlike centralized clouds, where data shards are mutable, decentralized nodes make shards immutable and cryptographically secured, preventing unauthorized reconstruction. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 The director’s observation of the mutable contracts between sisters, and even more so, fathers and daughters, is intensely affecting in a movie freighted with melancholy but also leavened by surprising notes of humor. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025 Taken together, these new polices would create a more mutable type of citizenship, no longer rooted in birthplace, or in the arduous and lengthy task of proving one’s worth. Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 May 2025 While Denzel looks dashing in his more mutable palette of a blue suit jacket. Aleah Wright, Essence, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mutable

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

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Cite this Entry

“Mutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutable. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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