Definition of "pliant"

Whether in its northern or southern home, the black-throated blue warbler builds its nest of bark, roots, and other pliant material, loose and rather bulky, in a variety of saplings, bushes, and weeds, but always a few inches or a few feet from the ground.

1917 April, “The Warblers of North America”, in The National Geographic Magazine

I must haue wanton Poets, pleasant wits,Musitians, that with touching of a stringMay draw the pliant king which way I please:

1594 (first publication), Christopher Marlow[e], The Trovblesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edvvard the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, (please specify the page)

[A]nd it is without all controuerſie, that learning doth make the minds of men gentle, generous, maniable, and pliant to gouernment; whereas Ignorance makes them churlish[,] thwart, and mutinous; […]

1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], folio 11, recto

Yet there was pleasant sadness that becameMeetly the gentle heart and pliant sense,In that same idlesse—gazing on that brook

1839, William Gilmore Simms, “The Brooklet”, in Southern Passages and Pictures‎, New York: George Adlard, page 2

[The king] had a pliant prime minister and a general who was telling him what he wanted to hear.

1988, A. J. Langguth, Patriots

The person said one of the reasons the Chinese had been so pliant in development of a joint position on AI governance was that “playing nice” and acting as a “responsible partner” could help foster conversations about relaxation of US trade barriers later down the line.

2023 November 4, Madhumita Murgia, Anna Gross, Cristina Criddle, “Summit exposes tensions over AI development despite emollient Chinese tone”, in FT Weekend, page 12