Meanings
nounvolatility (countable and uncountable, plural volatilities)
plural volatilities
- countableuncountableThe state of being volatile.
- uncountableThe state of having a low boiling point and evaporating readily.
- uncountableThe state of being able to fly.
- uncountableThe state of being unpredictable.
- countablebusinessA quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price of a commodity, share, or other financial product.
The recent volatility has come with the S&P 500 hovering just above bear market territory, or a 20 percent drop from its most recent high.
2022 May 18, Coral Murphy Marcos, “Stocks resume their rout as falling profits reignite fears of inflation.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe trait of being unpredictably irresolute
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian летливост
- летливост (letlivost)state of being volatile
Catalan volatilitat
- volatilitatstate of being volatile
Chinese Mandarin 揮發性 /挥发性, 揮發性 /挥发性
- 揮發性 /挥发性 (huīfāxìng)state of being volatile
- 揮發性 /挥发性 (huīfāxìng)state of having a low boiling point
Czech prchavost, volatilita
- prchavoststate of having a low boiling point
- volatilitafinancial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Finnish volatiliteetti, volatiilisuus
- volatiliteettistate of being volatile
- volatiilisuusstate of having a low boiling point
- haihtuvuusstate of having a low boiling point
- volatiilisuuscomputing: state of not retaining data
- lentokykyisyysstate of being able to fly
- arvaamattomuusstate of being unpredictable
- ennustamattomuusstate of being unpredictable
- ailahtelevaisuusstate of being unpredictable
- epävakaisuusstate of being unpredictable
- volatiliteettifinancial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
German Volatilität, Flüchtigkeit
- Volatilitätstate of having a low boiling point
- Flüchtigkeitstate of having a low boiling point
- Volatilitätfinancial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Greek μεταβλητότητα
- μεταβλητότητα (metavlitótita)state of being volatile
Hungarian illékonyság, volatilitás
- illékonyságstate of being volatile
- volatilitásfinancial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Indonesian volatilitas
- volatilitasstate of being volatile
Irish luaineacht
- luaineachtstate of being volatile
Japanese 揮発性, 揮発性
- 揮発性 (kihatsusei)state of having a low boiling point
- 揮発性 (kihatsusei)computing: state of not retaining data
- 飛行性 (hikosei)state of being able to fly
- 予測不能性 (yosoku-funōsei)state of being unpredictable
- 変動性 (hendōsei)financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Latin volātilitās
- volātilitāsstate of being volatile
Malay kemeruapan
- kemeruapanstate of being volatile
Portuguese volatilidade
- volatilidadestate of being volatile
Romanian volatilitate
- volatilitatestate of having a low boiling point
Russian летучесть, энергозависимый
- летучесть (letúčest')state of being volatile
- энергозависимый (energozavisimost')computing: state of not retaining data
- нестабильный (nestabilʹnyj)state of being unpredictable
- непредсказуемый (nepredskazujemyj)state of being unpredictable
- волатильность (volatil'nost')financial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Spanish volatilidad, volatilidad
- volatilidadstate of being volatile
- volatilidadstate of being unpredictable
- volatilidadfinancial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Swedish volatilitet
- volatilitetfinancial markets: quantification of the degree of uncertainty about the future price
Welsh anweddolrwydd
- anweddolrwyddstate of being volatile
Cite this entry
APA
volatility. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/volatility
MLA
“volatility.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/volatility. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “volatility,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/volatility.
Source: volatility on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.