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volatile

Pronunciation: /ˈvɒlətʌɪl/

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Definition of volatile

adjective

  • 1(of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures: volatile solvents such as petroleum ether, hexane, and benzene
  • 2liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse:the political situation was becoming more volatile
  • (of a person) liable to display rapid changes of emotion: a passionate, volatile young man
  • 3(of a computer’s memory) retaining data only as long as there is a power supply connected.

noun

(usually volatiles)
  • a volatile substance.

Derivatives

volatility

Pronunciation: /-ˈtɪlɪti/

noun

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'creature that flies', also, as a collective, 'birds'): from Old French volatil or Latin volatilis, from volare 'to fly'

volatile in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of volatile in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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