volatile
evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor: Acetone is a volatile solvent.
tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive: a volatile political situation.
changeable; mercurial; flighty: a volatile disposition.
(of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly: volatile market conditions.
fleeting; transient: volatile beauty.
Computers. of or relating to storage that does not retain data when electrical power is turned off or fails.
able to fly or flying.
a volatile substance, as a gas or solvent.
Origin of volatile
1Other words for volatile
Other words from volatile
- vol·a·til·i·ty [vol-uh-til-i-tee], /ˌvɒl əˈtɪl ɪ ti/, vol·a·tile·ness, noun
- non·vol·a·til·i·ty, noun
- sem·i·vol·a·tile, adjective
- un·vol·a·tile, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for volatile
/ (ˈvɒləˌtaɪl) /
(of a substance) capable of readily changing from a solid or liquid form to a vapour; having a high vapour pressure and a low boiling point
(of persons) disposed to caprice or inconstancy; fickle; mercurial
(of circumstances) liable to sudden, unpredictable, or explosive change
lasting only a short time: volatile business interests
computing (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off
obsolete flying or capable of flight; volant
a volatile substance
rare a winged creature
Origin of volatile
1Derived forms of volatile
- volatileness or volatility (ˌvɒləˈtɪlɪtɪ), noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for volatile
[ vŏl′ə-tl ]
Changing easily from liquid to vapor at normal temperatures and pressures. Essential oils used in perfumes are highly volatile.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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