volatile Hear it!

volatile Definition

vola·tile (välə təl; chiefly Brit, -tīl′)

adjective

  1. Obsolete flying or able to fly; volitant
  2. vaporizing or evaporating quickly, as alcohol
    1. likely to shift quickly and unpredictably; unstable; explosive a volatile social condition
    2. moving capriciously from one idea, interest, etc. to another; fickle
    3. not lasting long; fleeting
  3. Comput. designating or of memory that does not retain stored data when the power supply is disconnected

Etymology: MFr < L volatilis < volare, to fly

noun

  1. any flying creature
  2. a volatile substance

volatile Related Forms

vol′a·til·ity (-tilə tē) noun or vola·tile·ness

volatile Synonyms

volatile

modif.

  1. Having the qualities of a gas

    light, airy, imponderable, subtle, buoyant, gaseous, gasiform, vaporous, vapory, vaporizable, evaporable, effervescent, expansive, resilient, elastic.

    Antonyms heavy*, dense*, solid. *

  2. Having a sprightly temperament

    lively, light-hearted, vivacious, gay, animated, merry, flippant, teasing, playful, sprightly; see also active 1, 2, happy 1.

    Antonyms solemn*, demure*, quiet. *

  3. Liable to sudden change

    unstable, unpredictable, explosive; see changeable 1, 2.

  4. Fickle

    frivolous, capricious, whimsical; see changeable 1, fickle 2.

volatile Usage Examples

Preposition: against

currency: Sterling has been very volatile against the other currencies this week, in particular the Australian Dollar.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

make: Sadly the modern game has higher stakes than the past which in turn has made the game more volatile.

Modifies a noun

  • compound: The volatile compounds released are then analyzed in real time.
  • anesthetics: However neonates require lower concentrations of volatile anesthetics than infants.
  • solvent: The process involves the use of volatile solvents which are added to the oil stock to dissolve the wax.
  • substance: Six per cent reported taking volatile substances in the last year in 2002, compared with 7 per cent in 2001.
  • hydrocarbon: The inlet concentration is compared with the total allowable contamination for volatile hydrocarbons ( excluding methane ) set by ISBT at 20 ppmV.
  • temperament: Jess is a young woman who disguises a dysfunctional middle class background behind an edgy, volatile temperament.

Modifying Another Word

  • notoriously: Nor would joining the euro promote greater stability when it has been so notoriously volatile so far.
  • potentially: That would be likely to add to the problem of potentially volatile capital inflows next time around.
  • emotionally: Moon square Mars The square formed between the Moon and Mars shows that you have an emotionally volatile nature.
  • highly: The United Nations sent its own peacekeepers to the highly volatile regions affected by the fighting.
  • extremely: But the situation on the ground is extremely volatile.
  • increasingly: With public opinion increasingly volatile, there's panic at the top.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: However, the situation on the ground remains volatile, concluded Travers.
  • become: Oil prices have become far more volatile in recent years.
  • get: When the underlying gets very volatile you are often best advised to buy or sell at the market.

Preposition: than

  • market: Investments in small and emerging markets can be more volatile than other more developed markets.
  • revenue: Empirical analyzes by the IMF 11 shows that aid flows tend to be more volatile than fiscal revenue or output, and highly unpredictable.
  • other: All countries experience fluctuations in their rate of economic growth - some more volatile than others!

Browse dictionary entries near volatile

  1. volar
  2. Volapük
  3. volant
  4. Volans
  5. vol-au-vent
  6. vol.
  7. vol
  8. Vojvodina
  9. voir dire
  10. VoIP
  1. volatile oil
  2. volatility
  3. volatilize
  4. volcanic
  5. volcanic glass
  6. volcanic rock
  7. volcanicity
  8. volcanism
  9. volcanize
  10. volcano