Standard Lemma guide

volatility

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌvɒl.əˈtɪl.ə.ti/
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American: /ˌvɑ.ləˈtɪl.ə.ti/
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American: [ˌvɑ.ləˈtɪl.ə.ɾi]
  • Colorado Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, dialectal: /ˌvɒl.əˈtɪl.ə.ti/ of the US
  • Australian: /ˌvɔl.əˈtɪl.ə.ti/
  • Australian: [ˌvɔl.əˈtɪl.ə.ɾi]
  • New-Zealand: /ˌvɒl.əˈtəl.ə.ti/
  • New-Zealand: [ˌvɔ̟l.əˈtəl.ə.ɾi]
  • CMU ARPABET: V AA2 L AH0 T IH1 L AH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being volatile.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of having a low boiling point and evaporating readily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state of not retaining data in the absence of power.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The state of being able to fly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The state of being unpredictable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price of a commodity, share, or other financial product.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

being easily excited

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: excitability, excitableness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: emotionality, emotionalism

Narrower terms: boiling point

8

noun

Meaning 8

the trait of being unpredictably irresolute

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the volatility of the market drove many investors away

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unpredictability

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: irresoluteness, irresolution

9

noun

Meaning 9

the property of changing readily from a solid or liquid to a vapor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chemical property

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English volatile Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English volatility From volatile + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

57 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: летливост (letlivost) — state of being volatile
  • Catalan: volatilitat — state of being volatile
  • Chinese Mandarin: 揮發性 /挥发性 (huīfāxìng) — state of being volatile
  • Finnish: volatiliteetti — state of being volatile
  • Galician: volatilidade — state of being volatile
  • Georgian: ცვალებადობა (cvalebadoba) — state of being volatile
  • Georgian: არამდგრადობა (aramdgradoba) — state of being volatile
  • Georgian: არასტაბილურობა (arasṭabiluroba) — state of being volatile
  • Georgian: მერყეობა (merq̇eoba) — state of being volatile
  • Greek: μεταβλητότητα (metavlitótita) — state of being volatile
  • Hungarian: illékonyság — state of being volatile
  • Indonesian: volatilitas — state of being volatile
  • Irish: luaineacht — state of being volatile
  • Kazakh: ұшпалылық (ūşpalylyq) — state of being volatile
  • Latin: volātilitās — state of being volatile
  • Malay: kemeruapan — state of being volatile
  • Manx: so-ghaalaght — state of being volatile
  • Portuguese: volatilidade — state of being volatile
  • Russian: летучесть (letúčest') — state of being volatile
  • Spanish: volatilidad — state of being volatile
  • Welsh: anweddolrwydd — state of being volatile
  • Chinese Mandarin: 揮發性 /挥发性 (huīfāxìng) — state of having a low boiling point
  • Czech: prchavost — state of having a low boiling point
  • Finnish: volatiilisuus — state of having a low boiling point
  • Finnish: haihtuvuus — state of having a low boiling point
  • German: Volatilität — state of having a low boiling point
  • German: Flüchtigkeit — state of having a low boiling point
  • Japanese: 揮発性 (kihatsusei) — state of having a low boiling point
  • Manx: so-ghaalaght — state of having a low boiling point
  • Romanian: volatilitate — state of having a low boiling point
  • Finnish: volatiilisuus — computing: state of not retaining data
  • Japanese: 揮発性 (kihatsusei) — computing: state of not retaining data
  • Russian: энергозависимый (energozavisimost') — computing: state of not retaining data
  • Finnish: lentokykyisyys — state of being able to fly
  • Japanese: 飛行性 (hikosei) — state of being able to fly
  • Finnish: arvaamattomuus — state of being unpredictable
  • Finnish: ennustamattomuus — state of being unpredictable
  • Finnish: ailahtelevaisuus — state of being unpredictable
  • Finnish: epävakaisuus — state of being unpredictable
  • Georgian: ცვალებადობა (cvalebadoba) — state of being unpredictable
  • Georgian: მერყეობა (merq̇eoba) — state of being unpredictable
  • Georgian: არამდგრადობა (aramdgradoba) — state of being unpredictable
  • Japanese: 予測不能性 (yosoku-funōsei) — state of being unpredictable
  • Russian: нестабильный (nestabilʹnyj) — state of being unpredictable
  • Russian: непредсказуемый (nepredskazujemyj) — state of being unpredictable
  • Spanish: volatilidad — state of being unpredictable
  • Czech: volatilita — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Finnish: volatiliteetti — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Georgian: ცვალებადობა (cvalebadoba) — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Georgian: არასტაბილურობა (arasṭabiluroba) — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Georgian: არამდგრადობა (aramdgradoba) — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • German: Volatilität — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Hungarian: volatilitás — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Japanese: 変動性 (hendōsei) — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Russian: волатильность (volatil'nost') — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Spanish: volatilidad — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
  • Swedish: volatilitet — financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Real reading context

volatility in complete knowledge articles