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

After nearly three years of volatility, China’s luxury market is showing early signs of stabilization. —Yiling Pan, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026

The auction gives some breathing space to the market after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s pitch to remove the sales tax on food for two years set off a period of unprecedented volatility. —Mia Glass, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026

This massive capital allocation strategy highlights the company’s resilient free cash flow and its ability to generate high-volume returns even amidst shifting consumer trends and global economic volatility. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

While Asia trends, excluding Japan, saw improving trends compared to the previous year, analysts note the negative impact of currency exchange rates as well as demand volatility. —Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 28 Jan. 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