I. ˈvä-lə-t ə l, especially Brit -ˌtī(-ə)l 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
II. noun
Date: 1686
: a volatile substance