volatile

[vol-uh-tl, -til, -tahyl]

adjective

1. evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor.

   Acetone is a volatile solvent.

2. tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive.

   a volatile political situation.

   Synonyms: unsettled, unstable, eruptive

3. changeable; mercurial; flighty.

   a volatile disposition.

4. (of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly.

   volatile market conditions.

5. fleeting; transient.

   volatile beauty.

6. Computers.,  of or relating to storage that does not retain data when electrical power is turned off or fails.

7. able to fly or flying.

noun

1. a volatile substance, as a gas or solvent.

volatile

/ ˌvɒləˈtɪlɪtɪ, ˈvɒləˌtaɪl /

adjective

1. (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

2. (of persons) disposed to caprice or inconstancy; fickle; mercurial

3. (of circumstances) liable to sudden, unpredictable, or explosive change

4. lasting only a short time

   volatile business interests

5. computing (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off

6. obsolete,  flying or capable of flight; volant

noun

1. a volatile substance

2. rare,  a winged creature

volatile

1. Changing easily from liquid to vapor at normal temperatures and pressures. Essential oils used in perfumes are highly volatile.

Other Word Forms

• volatility noun
• volatileness noun
• nonvolatility noun
• semivolatile adjective
• unvolatile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of volatile¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin volātilis, equivalent to volāt(us) “flown,” past participle of volāre “to fly” + -ilis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of volatile¹

C17: from Latin volātīlis flying, from volāre to fly

Example Sentences

She cautioned, though, that the weekly data is an estimate and that recent hiring patterns have been volatile week to week.

Read more on Barron's

“The environment is volatile with the tariff increases in the U.S. and a lot of uncertainty among both retailers and consumers around the world,” the CEO said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The fundamental stress points in the relationship—from the future of Taiwan and military maneuvers in the South China Sea to the race for supremacy in artificial intelligence and quantum computing—remain unresolved and volatile.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In the past year, it’s gone from a volatile stock tied to the clean energy industry to an AI darling.

Read more on Barron's

“The market is very volatile, so the size of exposure is very important,” he says.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• capricious 
• elusive 
• erratic 
• fickle 
• resilient 
• ticklish 
• unsettled 
• unstable