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In English we have in flux, which you can use to say that something is in a state of change. How do you use an adjective that way in Latin? Could you use fluxus in ablative/accusative case with the preposition in but omit the noun, or would a gerundive with the verb fluo make more sense?

Some other examples of this format in English:

In play, In demand, In motion.

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A good place to start might be the famous hexameter verse:

Tempora mutantur nos et mutamur in illis.
Times are changing and we are changing with them.

I am not sure about fluere, but at least mutari makes an idiomatic wording for "in a state of change". So, if something is in a state of change, I'd suggest saying simply (aliquid) mutatur.

If you need an adjective instead of a verb, another (part of a) hexameter line to look at would be:

Varium et mutabile semper femina.
A woman is always changing.

Together with the verb mutari, this suggests that mutabilis would fit. As always, things depend on context, but I offer this as a starting point.

Is there a problem not solved by a suitable line of hexameter?

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  • If it can't be said in hexameter... No, you should always try to say it in hexameter.
    – Adam
    Apr 5, 2021 at 20:10
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    @Joonas llmavirta: In "varium et mutabile semper femina" why use two adjectives and why are these neuter?
    – tony
    Apr 6, 2021 at 11:28
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    @tony You can read the neuter as "a woman is a changing thing", so that the adjectives don't refer directly to femina. It's not unusual in any poetry to use a surprising amount of adjectives, and the two here are not exactly synonymous. For simplicity I conflated them to one adjective in English.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    Apr 6, 2021 at 11:30

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