volatile
Americanadjective
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evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor.
Acetone is a volatile solvent.
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tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive.
a volatile political situation.
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changeable; mercurial; flighty.
a volatile disposition.
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(of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly.
volatile market conditions.
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fleeting; transient.
volatile beauty.
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Computers. of or relating to storage that does not retain data when electrical power is turned off or fails.
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able to fly or flying.
noun
adjective
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(of a substance) capable of readily changing from a solid or liquid form to a vapour; having a high vapour pressure and a low boiling point
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(of persons) disposed to caprice or inconstancy; fickle; mercurial
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(of circumstances) liable to sudden, unpredictable, or explosive change
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lasting only a short time
volatile business interests
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computing (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off
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obsolete flying or capable of flight; volant
noun
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a volatile substance
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rare a winged creature
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of volatile
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin volātilis, equivalent to volāt(us) “flown,” past participle of volāre “to fly” + -ilis -ile
Explanation
Watch out when a situation becomes volatile — it is likely to change for the worse suddenly. If you and your best friend have a volatile relationship, you frequently fight and make up. Volatile from Latin volatilis, "fleeting, transitory," always gives the sense of sudden, radical change. Think of it as the opposite of stable. A person who is volatile loses his or her temper suddenly and violently. A volatile political situation could erupt into civil war. When the stock market is volatile, it fluctuates greatly. And in scientific language, a volatile oil evaporates quickly.
Vocabulary lists containing volatile
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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.
While silver could stay volatile in the short term, Yates said Global X ETFs increasingly sees precious metals as an “interesting opportunity” for 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026
It comes amid attention to health and environmental concerns associated with phthalates and volatile organic compounds used in diapers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Destry Damayanti, the governor of the Indonesian central bank, said that with the exception of the Covid-19 pandemic, she hasn’t experienced such volatile global economic conditions since the Asian financial crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The bond market has been volatile lately, as yields on safer Treasurys have jumped, sending bond prices lower.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
His baby teeth, which usually gave him an impish, playful appearance, now made him seem unpredictable, volatile.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
