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.
A shift in rate differentials could weigh on the appeal of Indonesia’s currency and bonds, while volatile oil prices are the main downside risk to the country’s economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
One of Malaysia’s largest pharmacy chains is planning an initial public offering to raise up to $600 million, testing investor appetite in a highly volatile market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The bond market has been volatile lately, as yields on safer Treasurys have jumped, sending bond prices lower.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core CPI was up 2.6 percent from a year ago.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Pair an intrusive, usually ignorant, and often suspicious press corps with an intensely private trainer, and you have a volatile mix.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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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.
