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The History of Volatile Is for the Birds
Volatile was originally for the birds—quite literally. Back in the 14th century, the word was a noun and volatiles were birds (especially wild fowl) or other winged creatures, such as butterflies. That's not as flighty as it sounds. Volatile traces back to the Latin verb volare, which means “to fly.” By the end of the 16th century, people were using volatile as an adjective to describe meal ground so fine and light that it could easily “fly” or be blown about. Soon after, the adjective was extended to creatures that were capable of flying (as in “volatile insects”), later to vapors and gases, and by the early 17th century, to individuals or things as prone to sudden change as some gaseous substances. In recent years, volatile has alighted in economic, political, and technical contexts far flown from its avian origins.
Examples of volatile in a Sentence
John W. Rogers, Jr., Forbes, 25 May 2009
Usually, only a few of the volatile chemicals in a fragrance are obviously noticeable to human noses.
—Ivan Amato, Science News, 24 Sept. 2005
VOCs (or volatile organic compounds) are thought to be among the potential culprits behind illnesses often lumped under the heading of Sick Building Syndrome.
—Scott Schilling, This Old House, March 2005
… it was Elvis who represented rock and roll at its unblushing, volatile best; he was its first master and the embodiment of every reason that adolescents of the postwar years turned to it in favor of the cheerfully torpid pop music … to which their parents were listening.
—David Hajdu, New York Review of Books, 9 Oct. 2003
When left unused, make-up has a tendency to dry out because any water or other volatile substances it contains evaporate.
—Barry Fox, New Scientist, 9 Aug. 2003
The stock market can be very volatile.
She is a volatile woman.
The protests are increasing, creating a volatile situation in the capital.
Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
President Donald Trump's upcoming Middle East visit will likely focus on reinforcing regional security and strengthening alliances, further heightening the stakes in an already volatile environment.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Victoria Corless, Space.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Then, a mass spectrometer will analyze that soil for trace elements and compounds, with a focus on finding water and other volatiles that could support long-term lunar exploration.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for volatile
Cite this Entry
“Volatile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volatile. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
volatile
1 of 2 nounvolatile
2 of 2 adjective
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