volatile

1 of 2

adjective

vol·​a·​tile ˈvä-lə-tᵊl How to pronounce volatile (audio)
 especially British  -ˌtī(-ə)l
1
a
: characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change
a volatile market
b
: unable to hold the attention fixed because of an inherent lightness or fickleness of disposition
2
a
: tending to erupt into violence : explosive
a volatile temper
b
: easily aroused
volatile suspicions
3
: readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature
4
: difficult to capture or hold permanently : evanescent, transitory
5
: flying or having the power to fly
volatileness noun

volatile

2 of 2

noun

: a substance that is readily vaporizable at relatively low temperature : a volatile substance

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The History of Volatile Is for the Birds

Volatile was originally for the birds—quite literally. Back in the 14th century, the word was a noun and volatiles were birds (especially wild fowl) or other winged creatures, such as butterflies. That's not as flighty as it sounds. Volatile traces back to the Latin verb volare, which means “to fly.” By the end of the 16th century, people were using volatile as an adjective to describe meal ground so fine and light that it could easily “fly” or be blown about. Soon after, the adjective was extended to creatures that were capable of flying (as in “volatile insects”), later to vapors and gases, and by the early 17th century, to individuals or things as prone to sudden change as some gaseous substances. In recent years, volatile has alighted in economic, political, and technical contexts far flown from its avian origins.

Examples of volatile in a Sentence

Adjective I am beginning to hear investors say that the best way to beat this volatile market is by trading—anxiously moving in and out of securities as the market ebbs and flows. In my view there is no surer path to the poorhouse. John W. Rogers, Jr., Forbes, 25 May 2009
Usually, only a few of the volatile chemicals in a fragrance are obviously noticeable to human noses. Ivan Amato, Science News, 24 Sept. 2005
VOCs (or volatile organic compounds) are thought to be among the potential culprits behind illnesses often lumped under the heading of Sick Building Syndrome. Scott Schilling, This Old House, March 2005
… it was Elvis who represented rock and roll at its unblushing, volatile best; he was its first master and the embodiment of every reason that adolescents of the postwar years turned to it in favor of the cheerfully torpid pop music … to which their parents were listening. David Hajdu, New York Review of Books, 9 Oct. 2003
When left unused, make-up has a tendency to dry out because any water or other volatile substances it contains evaporate. Barry Fox, New Scientist, 9 Aug. 2003
The stock market can be very volatile. She is a volatile woman. The protests are increasing, creating a volatile situation in the capital.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Court records suggest that 2017 was a particularly volatile year for Myers in New Holland. Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 The team at YouTube Music is fairly young and feeling the generational burns of navigating an especially volatile economy and a crumbling social contract between employers and employees. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 The problem has become worse in a volatile post-pandemic economy that has brought surging construction costs and high interest rates, said Brett Theodos, a housing economist at the Urban Institute. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Amid the search for clues about Parson’s intentions, Reid’s commutation provides a stark demonstration of the governor’s willingness to make politically volatile clemency decisions. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 The four-week average of claims, a less volatile measure, fell by 750 from the previous week to 212,250. Matt Ott, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 Their platonic fixation with one another is challenged when a teenage Runt develops feelings for a boy at school, and Pig's increasingly volatile behavior turns dangerous. Danny Horn, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 To be sure, bitcoin's ongoing price surge doesn't make the cryptocurrency any less volatile, as Laila Maidan, investing correspondent at Insider, told CBS News in December, when the cryptocurrency broke $41,000, which was its highest value in 19 months at the time. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 Under the constant guard of volatile Nazi SS officer Stefan Baretzki (Jonas Nay), Lali and Gita become determined to keep each other alive. Ed Meza, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
The gas samples were analyzed for sulfur-containing volatiles via gas chromatography. Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 There is a fear that a larger explosion is in the works as the volcano is showing significant deformation that might imply volatiles building up in the edifice - a precursor to an explosive eruption. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 20 Nov. 2019 Because of the high pressure and temperature conditions at those depths, the minerals will break down and the volatiles will come out in a very special form: a hybrid between a liquid and a gas, which is known as a supercritical fluid or a melt. Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024 All the while, the breeders have been using hole punches to collect bits of leaves and analyze the plants' DNA, looking for genetic patterns that correspond to high levels of volatiles, for instance, or flawless skin. Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, 1 June 2015 This robotic mission is designed to search for volatiles, which are molecules that easily vaporize, like water and carbon dioxide, at lunar temperatures. Ali M. Bramson, Discover Magazine, 29 Dec. 2023 Previous studies determined that Mercury’s surface contained volatiles, elements such as sulfur, chlorine and potassium, which can help create conditions for life. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2023 For example, heat stress, extreme weather, and droughts cause plants to release more biogenic volatiles—which seed more clouds. WIRED, 29 Sep. 2023 If a tomato had average to high sugar levels but no volatiles, volunteers did not perceive it as sweet. Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, 1 June 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'volatile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

French, from Latin volatilis, from volare to fly

First Known Use

Adjective

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1686, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of volatile was in 1605

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Dictionary Entries Near volatile

Cite this Entry

“Volatile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volatile. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

volatile

adjective
vol·​a·​tile
ˈväl-ət-ᵊl
1
: easily becoming a vapor at a fairly low temperature
a volatile solvent
2
: likely to change suddenly or quickly
a volatile temper
the stock market is volatile
volatility
ˌväl-ə-ˈtil-ət-ē
noun

Medical Definition

volatile

1 of 2 noun
vol·​a·​tile
ˈväl-ət-ᵊl, especially British -ə-ˌtīl
: a volatile substance

volatile

2 of 2 adjective
: readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature
volatility noun
plural volatilities

More from Merriam-Webster on volatile

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