volatile

American  

[vol-uh-tl, -til, -tahyl] / ˈvɒl ə tl, -tɪl, -ˌtaɪl /

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.

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noun

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

volatile British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a volatile substance

2. rare a winged creature

volatile Scientific  

/ vŏl′ə-tl /

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

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Other Word Forms

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

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.

Example Sentences

Though the GPR is quite volatile on a day-to-day basis, in mid-April it dipped to less than half of its early-March high — and less than a third of its 2025 high last June.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

In fact, U.S. stocks have been less volatile than usual.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Meanwhile, core inflation, which strips out more volatile energy and food costs, was unchanged from the flash reading at 2.3%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

“Like many manufacturers, we are operating in a highly volatile and unpredictable tariff environment that continues to create uncertainty across the market,” said BRP CEO Denis Le Vot in a news release.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

It might have been an old story to Patrick and the others, but I got a kick out of being mistaken as volatile.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

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