Main Entry: ¹vol·a·tile

Pronunciation: \ˈvä-lə-t^əl, especially British -ˌtī(-ə)l\

Function: adjective

Etymology: French, from Latin volatilis, from volare to fly

Date: 1605

1 : readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature
2 : flying or having the power to fly
3 a : lighthearted, lively b : easily aroused <volatile suspicions> c : tending to erupt into violence : explosive <a volatile temper>
4 a : unable to hold the attention fixed because of an inherent lightness or fickleness of disposition b : characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change <a volatile market>
5 : difficult to capture or hold permanently : evanescent, transitory

— vol·a·tile·ness noun

— vol·a·til·i·ty \ˌvä-lə-ˈti-lə-tē\ noun