volatility

UK: /ˌvɒləˈtɪləti/ US: /ˌvɑləˈtɪlɪti/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

vol•a•tile /ˈvɑlətəl, -ˌtaɪl/   adj. 

1. Chemistry evaporating rapidly; passing off quickly 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.
3. having or likely to have or exhibit sharp or sudden changes;
   unstable:
   a volatile stock market.
4. changeable, as in mood or temper:
   a volatile personality.

vol•a•til•i•ty /ˌvɑləˈtɪlɪti/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

vol•a•tile  (vol′ə tl, -til or, esp. Brit., -tīl′), adj. 

1. Chemistry 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.
3. changeable;
   mercurial;
   flighty:
   a volatile disposition.
4. Business (of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly:
   volatile market conditions.
5. fleeting;
   transient:
   volatile beauty.
6. Computing of or pertaining to storage that does not retain data when electrical power is turned off or fails.
7. able to fly or flying.

n. 

8. Chemistry a volatile substance, as a gas or solvent.

• Latin volātilis, equivalent. to volāt(us) (past participle of volāre to fly; see -ate¹) + -ilis -ile
• Middle English 1250–1300

vol•a•til•i•ty  (vol′ə til′i tē), vol′a•tile•ness, n.  Synonyms

• 2. eruptive, unstable, unsettled.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

volatile / 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. (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off

noun

1. a volatile substance

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin volātīlis flying, from volāre to fly

ˈvolatileness, volatility / ˌvɒləˈtɪlɪtɪ/ noun