volatile
volatile Lexical Profile
volatile Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.
"Investors remained cautious due to the highly volatile financial markets."
Prone to sudden, unexpected shifts in mood or sudden outbursts of anger (of a person or their temperament).
"His volatile temper made it difficult for colleagues to collaborate with him under pressure."
Easily evaporated at normal temperatures (of a liquid or chemical substance).
"Acetone is a highly volatile solvent that must be stored in tightly sealed containers."
Retaining data only while the device is powered on and losing it when power is turned off (of computer memory).
"Random-access memory is volatile, meaning any unsaved work disappears if the power fails."
• noun
A substance that evaporates readily at normal temperatures and pressures (usually used in the plural).
"Planetary scientists analyzed the ice core to measure the concentration of trapped volatiles."
• Rhymes for volatile
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Middle French from Latin volatilis ('flying, fleeting, transitory'), derived from the verb volare ('to fly'). Its modern chemical sense of evaporating rapidly developed in late 16th-century alchemy before extending to unpredictable human temperaments and markets.