adjective
volatile
VOL-uh-tyl
adjective
1
Likely to change suddenly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.
"Stock prices were extremely volatile after the announcement."
"He has a volatile temper and can snap without warning."
2
Evaporating quickly at normal temperatures.
"Petrol is a highly volatile liquid."
3
In computing, describing memory whose contents are lost when power is removed.
"RAM is volatile memory, unlike a hard drive."
How to Use Volatile
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUnstable and quick to change — whether that's a mood, a market, a chemical, or computer memory.
Common pairings
volatile market
volatile temper
volatile substance
Word Forms
more volatile comparative, volatiles plural, most volatile superlative
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Etymology
From Latin volatilis, "flying," from volare, "to fly" — the idea of something that evaporates or changes as quickly as if it took flight.