Volatility is the quality of changing suddenly and unpredictably. When something has high volatility, you never quite know what's coming next.

In weather, volatility means conditions that swing dramatically: sunny and calm one hour, stormy and wild the next. March weather is famously volatile in many parts of the United States.

In finance, volatility describes how much prices jump around. A stock with high volatility might be worth $50 today, $45 tomorrow, and $55 the day after. Investors watch volatility carefully because it makes planning and predicting difficult.

The word can also describe emotions or behavior. Someone with a volatile temper might seem fine one moment and angry the next, making people around them nervous because they can't predict what will happen. A volatile friendship might feel warm and close some days but cold and distant on others.

Whether it's stock prices, spring weather, or someone's mood, volatility means you're dealing with something changeable and hard to pin down.