Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Easily evaporated at normal temperatures: Describes a substance that changes quickly from a liquid or solid state into a vapor.
   • Liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse: Describes a situation, condition, or emotion that is unstable, tense, and likely to erupt suddenly.
   • Marked by erratic changeableness in moods or interests: Describes a person's temperament or attachments as fickle, inconstant, or prone to sudden shifts.

2. Noun:

   • A volatile substance: A material, especially a chemical compound, that evaporates readily at normal pressures and temperatures.

Examples

• Adjective:

  • Gasoline is a highly volatile liquid. (It evaporates very easily.)
  • The political situation in the region remains volatile. (It is unstable and could become violent.)
  • He has a volatile temper, so it's hard to predict his reaction. (His mood changes suddenly and often.)

• Noun:

  • The experiment required removing all volatiles from the sample. (All easily evaporated substances had to be taken out.)

Advanced Usage

• In computing: "Volatile memory" refers to computer memory (like RAM) that requires power to maintain stored information; it is lost when the power is turned off.
  • Make sure to save your work; it's stored in volatile memory.

Variants and Related Words

• Volatility (noun): The quality or state of being volatile.
  • The volatility of the stock market makes investors nervous.
• Volatilize (verb): To cause a substance to become volatile; to evaporate.
  • Heat will volatilize the solvent.

Synonyms

• Adjective (for changeability): Unstable, unpredictable, mercurial, capricious, erratic.
• Adjective (for evaporating): Evaporative, vaporous.
• Noun: Solvent (in some contexts), vapor.

Related Phrases

• Volatile organic compound (VOC): A specific chemical term for organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature.
  • Paints often contain volatile organic compounds.

Idioms

• A volatile mix: A combination of elements that is very likely to cause a sudden, often violent, reaction.
  • Poverty and political oppression created a volatile mix that led to revolution.

Adjective

1. tending to vary often or widely
   • volatile stocks
   • volatile emotions
2. marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments
   • fickle friends
   • a flirt's volatile affections
3. liable to lead to sudden change or violence
   • an explosive issue
   • a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation
4. evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures
   • volatile oils
   • volatile solvents

Noun

1. a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor
   • it was heated to evaporate the volatiles