volatile

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Likely to change suddenly and unexpectedly, especially for the worse.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a volatile situation / the market is volatile.

   Patterns

   • a volatile situation
   • a volatile market
   • become volatile

   The political situation in the region remains highly volatile.

   Oil prices have been volatile all year, jumping up and down almost daily.

   Her mood was so volatile that no one knew what to expect.

2. 2adjectivenot comparabletechnicalchemistry

   A substance that is volatile changes easily into a gas at normal temperatures.

   Grammar: Technical use; usually before a noun: volatile compounds, volatile liquids.

   Patterns

   • volatile liquid
   • volatile compound
   • volatile organic compounds

   Gasoline is a volatile liquid, so it must be stored in sealed containers.

   The lab smelled strongly because the solvent was highly volatile.

   Volatile organic compounds from paint can affect indoor air quality.

3. 3adjectivenot comparabletechnicalcomputing

   In computing, a volatile memory or storage loses its data when the power is turned off.

   Grammar: Technical use; usually before a noun: volatile memory.

   Patterns

   • volatile memory
   • volatile storage

   RAM is a type of volatile memory, so anything stored there disappears when you shut down.

   The program saves data to a non-volatile drive before the power is cut.

Word forms

Common combinations

highly volatile

The stock is highly volatile and not suitable for cautious investors.

volatile situation

The president called the situation volatile and urged calm.

volatile market

Traders made big profits in the volatile market.

volatile substance

Firefighters warned that the volatile substance could explode.

emotionally volatile

He was emotionally volatile after the accident.

Synonyms and how they differ

unstable

Unstable is broader and can describe physical objects or structures; volatile suggests sudden, unpredictable change, often in prices or moods.

explosive

Explosive describes something that can blow up or a situation that could erupt into violence; volatile is about rapid change, not necessarily violence.

erratic

Erratic means behaving or moving in an irregular way; volatile often implies a stronger, more dangerous level of unpredictability.

mercurial

Mercurial is literary and usually describes a person's quickly changing mood; volatile is more general and can describe markets or chemicals.

Opposites

Word family

volatility noun

The quality of changing suddenly; often used about markets or moods.

volatilize verb

To change into a gas; a technical chemistry verb.

Commonly confused: volatile or voluble?

Practice

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