Meaning & use

volatility

noun·Academic

A tendency to change quickly and unpredictably, especially in price, mood, or behavior.

See it in a sentence

Investors grew nervous as stock market volatility increased through the summer.

His emotional volatility made colleagues unsure how he would react each morning.

A note on using this word

Common in finance for sudden price swings, but equally natural for describing unstable moods, weather, or politics.

Words with a similar meaning

instabilityunpredictability

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

stability

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “volatility”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.