n.
Pronunciation: ' vä-l ə -t ə l, esp Brit - ˌ t ī (- 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 \ ˌ vä-l ə - ' ti-l ə -t ē \ noun