volatile
Americanadjective
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evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor.
Acetone is a volatile solvent.
-
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.
-
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
-
(of persons) disposed to caprice or inconstancy; fickle; mercurial
-
(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
-
a volatile substance
-
rare a winged creature
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
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.
"It's all so volatile, you just don't know what's going to happen next."
From BBC
At the least, markets are likely to be highly volatile initially.
From Barron's
At the least, markets are likely to be highly volatile initially.
From Barron's
At the least, markets are likely to be highly volatile initially.
From Barron's
Dell looks to be a safe haven as investors figure out a volatile tech environment.
From Barron's
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.
