vol·a·tile

(vŏl′ə-tl, -tīl′)

adj.

1. Chemistry

a. Evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures.

b. Capable of being readily vaporized.

a. Tending to vary often or widely, as in price: the ups and downs of volatile stocks.

b. Inconstant; fickle: a flirt's volatile affections.

c. Lighthearted; flighty: in a volatile mood.

d. Ephemeral; fleeting.

3. Tending to violence; explosive: a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation.

4. Flying or capable of flying; volant.

5. Computers Of or relating to memory whose data is erased when the memory's power is interrupted.

[French, from Old French, from Latin volātilis, flying, from volātus, past participle of volāre, to fly.]

vol′a·tile n.

vol′a·til′i·ty (-tĭl′ĭ-tē), vol′a·tile·ness (-tl-nĭs, -tīl′-) n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

volatile

(ˈvɒləˌtaɪl)

adj

1. (Chemistry) (of a substance) capable of readily changing from a solid or liquid form to a vapour; having a high vapour pressure and a low boiling point

2. (of persons) disposed to caprice or inconstancy; fickle; mercurial

3. (of circumstances) liable to sudden, unpredictable, or explosive change

4. lasting only a short time: volatile business interests.

5. (Computer Science) computing (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off

6. obsolete flying or capable of flight; volant

7. (Chemistry) a volatile substance

8. rare a winged creature

[C17: from Latin volātīlis flying, from volāre to fly]

ˈvolatileness, volatility n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

vol•a•tile

(ˈvɒl ə tl, -tɪl; esp. Brit. -ˌtaɪl)

adj.

1. evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor: Acetone is a volatile solvent.

2. tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive: a volatile political situation.

3. characterized by or liable to sharp or sudden changes; unstable: a volatile stock market.

4. changeable, as in mood or temper; mercurial; flighty.

5. fleeting; transient.

6. (of computer storage) not retaining data when electrical power is turned off.

7. Archaic. flying or able to fly.

8. a volatile substance, as a gas or solvent.

[1250–1300; Middle English < Latin volātilis able to fly =volā(re) to fly + -tilis -tile]

vol`a•til′i•ty (-ˈtɪl ɪ ti) vol′a•tile•ness, n.

vol·a·tile

(vŏl′ə-tl)

Changing easily from liquid to vapor at normal temperatures and pressures.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

volatile

Describes a substance which readily turns into a vapor.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	volatile - a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor; "it was heated to evaporate the volatiles" substance - the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists; "DNA is the substance of our genes"
Adj.	1.	volatile - evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures; "volatile oils"; "volatile solvents" chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions inconstant - likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable; "inconstant affections"; "an inconstant lover"; "swear not by...the inconstant moon"- Shakespeare nonvolatile, nonvolatilisable, nonvolatilizable - not volatilizing readily; "a nonvolatile acid"
	2.	volatile - liable to lead to sudden change or violence; "an explosive issue"; "a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation" explosive unstable - lacking stability or fixity or firmness; "unstable political conditions"; "the tower proved to be unstable in the high wind"; "an unstable world economy"
	3.	volatile - marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments; "fickle friends"; "a flirt's volatile affections" fickle inconstant - likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable; "inconstant affections"; "an inconstant lover"; "swear not by...the inconstant moon"- Shakespeare
	4.	volatile - tending to vary often or widely; "volatile stocks"; "volatile emotions" changeful, changeable - such that alteration is possible; having a marked tendency to change; "changeable behavior"; "changeable moods"; "changeable prices"

volatile

adjective

1. changeable, shifting, variable, unsettled, unstable, explosive, unreliable, unsteady, inconstant There have been riots before and the situation is volatile.
changeable stable, constant, steady, inert, settled

2. temperamental, erratic, mercurial, up and down (informal), fickle, whimsical, giddy, flighty, over-emotional, inconstant She has a volatile temperament.
temperamental calm, consistent, reliable, sober, self-controlled, dependable, cool-headed

3. unstable, explosive, inflammable, labile (technical), eruptive when volatile chemicals explode

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

volatile

adjective

Following no predictable pattern:

capricious, changeable, erratic, fantastic, fantastical, fickle, freakish, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, temperamental, ticklish, uncertain, unpredictable, unstable, unsteady, variable, whimsical.

Translations

prchavý

volatil

epävakaa

揮発性爆弾発破

изменчивый летучий непостоянный

volatile

[ˈvɒlətaɪl] ADJ

1. (Chem) → volátil

2. (= unstable) [person] → voluble; [situation, atmosphere, market] → inestable, volátil

3. (Comput) volatile memory → memoria f no permanente

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

volatile

[ˈvɒlətaɪl] adj

(= unstable) [situation, atmosphere, market] → volatil(e)

[person] → d'humeur volatile; [mood, temper] → volatil(e)

(CHEMISTRY) [liquid, chemicals, substance] → volatil(e)

volatile

adj

(Chem) → flüchtig

person (in moods) → impulsiv; (in interests) → sprunghaft; (Psych: = unpredictable) → sprunghaft; relationship → wechselhaft; political situation → brisant; (St Ex) → unbeständig; a person with a volatile temper → ein sehr unberechenbarer Mensch

(Comput) volatile memory → flüchtiger Speicher

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

volatile

[ˈvɒləˌtaɪl] adj (Chem) → volatile (fig) (situation) → esplosivo/a; (character) → volubile

vol·a·tile

a. volátil, que se evapora fácilmente.