volátil
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “volátil” mean in English?
volatile
volatile (highly unstable and liable to sudden change; applied to markets, situations, moods; mercados volátiles)
Example sentences
Los mercados financieros son extraordinariamente volátiles en periodos de incertidumbre política, lo que hace imposible la planificación a largo plazo.
Financial markets are extraordinarily volatile in periods of political uncertainty, making long-term planning impossible.
El electorado se ha vuelto cada vez más volátil: la fidelidad a un partido ya no puede darse por sentada de una elección a la siguiente.
The electorate has become increasingly volatile: loyalty to a party can no longer be taken for granted from one election to the next.
How to use it
Volátil (adjective, two syllables: vo-LÁ-til) means 'volatile' — liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, often carrying a sense of instability or danger. The metaphor is chemical: volatile substances evaporate quickly and unpredictably. At B2 it is most common in financial and political journalism: los mercados volátiles, una situación política volátil, precios volátiles, un electorado volátil. Key distinction from cambiante: cambiante means 'changing' in a neutral, ongoing sense; volátil adds emotional charge of unpredictability and risk. Both are adjectives describing change, but volátil implies the change is hard to predict or control and may have damaging consequences.
Common mistake
Volátil (unpredictable and potentially dangerous change — risk connotation) vs cambiante (ongoing neutral change — no implied risk) vs fluctuante (measurable oscillation — statistical). 'A changing market' in a neutral description = 'un mercado cambiante'; 'a market with dangerous instability' = 'un mercado volátil'.