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.
The market volatility has been a boon for trading desks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
They think that Qantas has the balance sheet and flexibility on capital expenditure to ride out near-term volatility, citing its decision not to begin its A$150 million share buyback.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Although uncertainty and volatility have been high, investors haven’t yet exited markets altogether, avoiding the liquidity stress that can lead to a downturn.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
The S&P 500 is up 0.6% in 2026 amid volatility, with analysts forecasting over 17% profit growth.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
The overcrowding lent a sense of chaos and volatility.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
