volatility
Americannoun
Explanation
Volatility is the trait of being excitable and unpredictable. Your volatility might ultimately be the thing that makes you unsuitable as a preschool teacher. The noun volatility is the characteristic of changing often and unpredictably. Your sister's volatility might be shown in how quickly she switches from laughing to crying. If you talk about the volatility of the stock market, stock prices are most likely fluctuating wildly. In chemistry, volatility means the speed with which a substance changes from solid to liquid, liquid to vapor, and so on. The root is the Latin volatilis, "fleeting, transitory, flying."
Vocabulary lists containing volatility
This Week in Words: October 21- 27, 2018
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This Week in Words: October 13 – 20, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Volatility eased on Monday, but investors still have May’s consumer-price index on deck for Wednesday.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Volatility is a key ingredient in pricing options, as it is used to gauge how likely a contract is exercised depending on the timing of the option’s expiration.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, has become a quick-and-dirty way to quantify caution.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
The stock market’s April surge pushed the Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, down to 16.50 after soaring above 30 in late March, a sign that the wall of worry has been climbed.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
And on the other side, it is evident that Volatility belongs in common to all the three Principles, and to Water too.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
