volatility

noun

vol·​a·​til·​i·​ty ˌvä-lə-ˈti-lə-tē 

plural volatilities

: the quality or state of being volatile: such as

a

: a tendency to change quickly and unpredictably

price volatility

the volatility of the stock market

b

: a tendency to erupt in violence or anger

the volatility of the region

the volatility of his temper

c

: the quality of being readily vaporizable at a fairly low temperature

As each component of crude oil has a different relative volatility, they will evaporate at different temperatures.

—Martin W. Stockel et al.

Examples of volatility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Market volatility also remains elevated. —Fred Imbert, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026

Whatever the level of geopolitical volatility, millions of people like to buy a chance to win big at astonishingly long odds. —Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026

That forces you to think about risk of loss, about how much is enough, and about the volatility of the stock market. —Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026

The last few weeks have illustrated the volatility of an energy system rooted in oil. —Killian Duborg, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for volatility

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• capability
• changeability
• contractility
• credibility
• culpability
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility