adjective
volatile
Likely to change suddenly and unpredictably.
The volatile stock market makes investors nervous about sudden losses.
Etymology
The flying or fleeting image developed into instability. A volatile situation or person can shift rapidly rather than remain in a fixed state.
More examples
- His volatile moods make it hard to know how he will react.
- The political situation grows more volatile with each new crisis.
- Volatile fuel prices make delivery costs difficult to predict.
Forms
volatile · more volatile · most volatile
volatility noun — The tendency to change suddenly and unpredictably.
Similar words
- unpredictable
- Emphasizes difficulty foreseeing events, without necessarily suggesting sudden changes.
- unstable
- Emphasizes lack of steadiness or security, not necessarily unpredictability.
- changeable
- Suggests frequent changes that need not be sudden or dramatic.