volatile

[ vol-uh-tl, -tilor, especially British, -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

/ vŏl′ə-tl /

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

Derived Forms

• ˈvolatileness, noun

Other Words From

• vol·a·til·i·ty [vol-, uh, -, til, -i-tee], vola·tile·ness noun
• nonvol·a·tili·ty noun
• semi·vola·tile adjective
• un·vola·tile 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

Bitcoin is gaining again on Tuesday, extending a volatile post-Election Day rally that has pushed the market value of all cryptocurrencies above $3 trillion.

From New York Times

Secondly, these pollutants are difficult to detect due to their volatile presence in the atmosphere.

From Science Daily

His personal life is volatile, but one can’t argue with the scale of his ambition, or how his gnarled aesthetics have reached an unlikely mass crowd.

From Los Angeles Times

Charli has previously defined brat as a girl who "has a breakdown, but kind of like parties through it", who is honest, blunt, "a little bit volatile".

From BBC

Analysts say US-China relations could become more volatile when Trump returns to office in two months, driven by factors including a promise to raise tariffs on Chinese imports.

From BBC

Related Words

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