volatility
- 01 C1 Advanced
how much and how quickly the price of something, like a stock, goes up and down.
a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index, representing the degree of price variation over time.
Simple“The stock market saw high volatility this week as investors worried about the economy.”
In context“Increased market volatility often prompts institutional investors to hedge their positions against sudden downward price movements.”
UsageOften used with 'high', 'low', or 'market'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the quality of changing your mood or behavior suddenly and often.
the quality of being subject to frequent, rapid, and unpredictable change, especially in emotional temperament or social situations.
Simple“The volatility of his temper made it difficult for his colleagues to work with him.”
In context“Political analysts expressed concern over the volatility of public opinion in the weeks leading up to the referendum.”
SynonymsunpredictabilityficklenessAntonymsconstancysteadiness - 03 C2 Proficiency
the quality of computer memory that loses its data when the power is turned off.
the property of a storage device or memory type that requires a continuous power supply to maintain the stored information.
Simple“RAM is known for its volatility, meaning you lose unsaved work if the computer crashes.”
In context“The architectural distinction between primary storage and secondary storage is defined largely by the volatility of the former.”
Antonymsnon volatility - 04 C2 Proficiency
how easily a liquid turns into a gas or vapor.
the tendency of a substance to vaporize, directly related to a substance's vapor pressure at a given temperature.
Simple“The high volatility of gasoline means it catches fire very easily.”
In context“The laboratory technician measured the relative volatility of the solvents to determine which would evaporate most efficiently under vacuum.”
Synonymsevaporability
“Hannbeck said there had been some price volatility – notably in summer 2025 the cost of Mounjaro more than doubled – but the market was becoming more competitive.”
“The volatility caused by escalation shows how even a limited war with just two parties that starts with lower loss of life can grow into a much bigger one.”
From volatile + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.