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Planning & Processadjective · /ˈædʒaɪl/

agile

In simple English

Agile originated as a formal methodology documented in the Agile Manifesto (2001) but has become the dominant approach in tech companies worldwide. It prioritizes responding to change over following a rigid plan, working software over extensive documentation, customer collaboration over contracts, and individuals and interactions over processes and tools. In practice, agile teams use iterative cycles (sprints), daily communication (standups), and regular feedback to build products incrementally. Companies adopt agile frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, or XP to organize their work. You will hear agile used both as a noun (we work in agile) and as an adjective describing processes, teams, and mindsets.

Understand what agile methodology means and how it shapes modern software development processes.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility5/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓We are running agile sprints
✓Go agile or go home
✓Agile values are embedded in our culture
✓She has an agile mindset

Real examples

in a standup

"Our agile process means we plan only two weeks ahead and adjust based on feedback."

in a retrospective

"We have been agile for six months now, and our deployment frequency has doubled."

in a job interview

"I have five years of experience working in agile teams, primarily with Scrum."

in a team meeting

"To stay agile, we need to avoid gold-plating features and ship the minimum viable product."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Agile is a methodology and mindset, not just the ability to change quickly. Do not use it to mean simply flexible or fast without methodology context.

✕We need to agile our process faster.
✓We need to adopt an agile approach to our process.— Agile is primarily an adjective or noun describing a methodology, not typically used as a verb meaning to make something agile.
✕Agile just means we can change our minds whenever we want.
✓Agile means we plan in short cycles and respond to change within a structured framework.— Agile is not chaos or pure flexibility; it has discipline and structure despite its responsiveness to change.
✕We are doing agile wrong because we skip documentation entirely.
✓We should balance agile principles with appropriate documentation for long-term maintenance.— Agile values working software over comprehensive documentation but does not eliminate documentation entirely.

Other forms

adjective

agile

"Our agile methodology allows us to respond quickly to market changes."

noun

agile

"We converted our entire engineering division to agile in 2022."

Often used with

agile methodologyThe formal approach or framework for organizing work
agile teamA team organized around agile principles and practices
agile sprintA fixed time period (usually 1-2 weeks) in which work is completed
agile transformationThe process of changing an organization to adopt agile ways of working
agile valuesCore principles of the Agile Manifesto
go agileTo adopt or transition to agile methodology

Similar words

iterativeEmphasizes the cycle-based nature but lacks the full methodology context of agile
flexibleDescribes the quality of being able to adapt, but is less specific than agile
adaptiveSimilar meaning but lacks the formal methodology association

Opposites

waterfallrigidbureaucratic

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your manager asks you about your team's development process. What do you say?

Complete the sentence

2. Our company underwent an _______ transformation last year to improve time to market.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses agile incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this using agile: 'Our team plans for the whole year upfront and never changes plans.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "agile" in a standup this week?

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