What is the meaning of volatile?

noun

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

adjective

  • Evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures.
    • usage: "volatile oils"; "volatile solvents"
  • Liable to lead to sudden change or violence.
    • usage: "an explosive issue"; "a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation"
  • Marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments.
    • usage: "fickle friends"; "a flirt's volatile affections"
  • Tending to vary often or widely.
    • usage: "volatile stocks"; "volatile emotions"
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APAWordNet. (2010). volatile. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/volatile/definitions/1187973
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "volatile" http://smartdefine.org/volatile/definitions/1187973 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, volatile, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/volatile/definitions/1187973>.
MLAWordNet. "volatile" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/volatile/definitions/1187973>
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