volatile

[ vol-uh-tl, -til or, esp. British, -tahyl ]

/ ˈvɒl ə tl, -tɪl or, esp. British, -ˌtaɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR volatile ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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.

Origin of volatile

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

SYNONYMS FOR volatile

2 eruptive, unstable, unsettled.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR volatile ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM volatile

vol·a·til·i·ty

[vol-uh-til-i-tee] /ˌvɒl əˈtɪl ɪ ti/, vol·a·tile·ness, noun non·vol·a·til·i·ty, noun sem·i·vol·a·tile, adjective un·vol·a·tile, adjective

Words nearby volatile

volante, volapuk, volapük, volar, volary, volatile, volatile oil, volatile salt, volatility index, volatilization, volatilize

Example sentences from the Web for volatile

Visibly affected the by military atmosphere the young man admitted his emotions were volatile.

Hunt for Iraq Vet After Killing Spree |M.L. Nestel |December 16, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But politics are volatile in Ukraine and Opposition Bloc is pushing hard.

Ukraine’s Elections: The Battle of the Billionaires |Anna Nemtsova |October 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In the volatile southern province of Kandahar, for instance, an innovative school for teenage girls will soon close its doors.

The West Made Lots of Promises to Afghan Girls, Now It’s Breaking Them |Heather Barr |October 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Living as they do in the heart of the volatile Caucasus, Georgians are only too aware of the fires that surround them.

ISIS on Georgia’s Mind |Anna Nemtsova |September 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

How about: “one of the most volatile periods since the Cold War.”

Rick Perry: America’s Next Top Strategist? |James Poulos |September 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It appears to contain at least two alkaloids—cannabinine and tetano-cannabine—of which the former is volatile.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 |Various
At that moment his volatile companion gave his arm a clutch and stopped their walk as if a sudden thought had seized him.

His Grace of Osmonde |Frances Hodgson Burnett
Here were vats of liquid helium, used in Collins engines to refrigerate the volatile rocket fuel.

Deepfreeze |Robert Donald Locke
Resinous matter mixed with volatile oil is easily detected, being left in the alembic after distillation.

A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines |Andrew Ure
The volatile oil of the century plant is said to evaporate so rapidly as to freeze the water deposited in it.

Aztec Land |Maturin M. Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for volatile

volatile

/ (ˈvɒləˌtaɪl) /

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

Derived forms of volatile

volatileness or volatility (ˌvɒləˈtɪlɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for volatile

C17: from Latin volātīlis flying, from volāre to fly

Medical definitions for volatile

volatile

[ vŏl′ə-tl, -tīl′ ]

adj.

Evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures.

That can be readily vaporized.

Tending to violence; explosive, as of behavior.

Scientific definitions for volatile

volatile

[ vŏl′ə-tl ]

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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

volatile

adjective

noun

Origin of volatile

SYNONYMS FOR volatile

OTHER WORDS FROM volatile

Words nearby volatile

Example sentences from the Web for volatile

British Dictionary definitions for volatile

adjective

noun

Derived forms of volatile

Word Origin for volatile

Medical definitions for volatile

adj.

Scientific definitions for volatile

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

volatile

adjective

noun

Origin of volatile

SYNONYMS FOR volatile

OTHER WORDS FROM volatile

Words nearby volatile

Words related to volatile

Example sentences from the Web for volatile

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for volatile

adjective

noun

Derived forms of volatile

Word Origin for volatile

Medical definitions for volatile

adj.

Scientific definitions for volatile

British Dictionary definitions for volatile