volatile
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
changeable; mercurial; flighty.
a volatile disposition.
-
(of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly.
volatile market conditions.
-
fleeting; transient.
volatile beauty.
-
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
-
a volatile substance, as a gas or solvent.
adjective
-
(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
-
lasting only a short time
volatile business interests
-
computing (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off
-
obsolete flying or capable of flight; volant
noun
-
a volatile substance
-
rare a winged creature
-
Changing easily from liquid to vapor at normal temperatures and pressures. Essential oils used in perfumes are highly volatile.
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.
Can the good times continue for such a narrow, volatile sector?
From Barron's
Earlier observations also detected carbon monoxide gas around the star, indicating that these objects are rich in volatile materials and closely resemble the icy comets found in our own solar system.
From Science Daily
An AI boom has helped push tech stocks to record highs in recent months, but they are also volatile as global investors watch intently for any signs of a bubble.
From Barron's
Once in the air, these partially volatile compounds more easily form fine particles that can be harmful if breathed in, compared with VOCs.
From Science Daily
Core inflation, which strips out volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices, also slowed to 2.3 percent in December from 2.4 percent in November.
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.