voluntary

American  

[vol-uhn-ter-ee] / ˈvɒl ənˌtɛr i /

adjective

1. 

   done, made, brought about, undertaken, etc., of one's own accord or by free choice.

   a voluntary contribution.

   Synonyms:

   designed, intended, planned, purposeful, considered

2. of, relating to, or acting in accord with the will.

   voluntary cooperation.

3. of, relating to, or depending on voluntary action.

   voluntary hospitals.

4. Law.

   1. acting or done without compulsion or obligation.

   2. done by intention, and not by accident.

      voluntary manslaughter.

   3. made without valuable consideration.

      a voluntary settlement.

5. Physiology. subject to or controlled by the will.

6. having the power of willing or choosing.

   a voluntary agent.

7. proceeding from a natural impulse; spontaneous.

   voluntary laughter.

   Synonyms:

   unconstrained, natural, unforced, free

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noun

• voluntaries
  plural

1. something done voluntarily.

2. a piece of music, frequently spontaneous and improvised, performed as a prelude to a larger work, especially a piece of organ music performed before, during, or after an office of the church.

voluntary British  

/ ˈvɒləntərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. performed, undertaken, or brought about by free choice, willingly, or without being asked

   a voluntary donation

2. (of persons) serving or acting in a specified function of one's own accord and without compulsion or promise of remuneration

   a voluntary social worker

3. done by, composed of, or functioning with the aid of volunteers

   a voluntary association

4. endowed with, exercising, or having the faculty of willing

   a voluntary agent

5. arising from natural impulse; spontaneous

   voluntary laughter

6. law

   1. acting or done without legal obligation, compulsion, or persuasion

   2. made without payment or recompense in any form

      a voluntary conveyance

7. (of the muscles of the limbs, neck, etc) having their action controlled by the will

8. maintained or provided by the voluntary actions or contributions of individuals and not by the state

   voluntary schools

   the voluntary system

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noun

1. music a composition or improvisation, usually for organ, played at the beginning or end of a church service

2. work done without compulsion

3. obsolete a volunteer, esp in an army

Synonym Usage

See deliberate. Voluntary, spontaneous agree in applying to something that is a natural outgrowth or natural expression arising from circumstances and conditions. Voluntary implies having given previous consideration, or having exercised judgment: a voluntary confession; a voluntary movement; The offer was a voluntary one. Something that is spontaneous arises as if by itself from the nature of the circumstances or condition: spontaneous applause, combustion, expression of admiration.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• voluntariness
  noun
• nonvoluntary
  adjective
• semivoluntary
  adjective
• unvoluntary
  adjective
• voluntarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• voluntaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of voluntary

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin voluntārius, equivalent to volunt(ās) “willingness, inclination” (ultimately representing a formation with -tās -ty ² on the present participle of velle “to want, wish”; see will ¹, -ent) + -ārius -ary

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Explanation

Voluntary is an adjective that describes something you do because you want to, without being influenced or forced into it. Usually a voluntary act is something you consciously choose to do, like going into work even on a snow day. Voluntary comes from the Latin word voluntarius, which means "of one's free will." Voluntary can also describe a service given without any payment expected in return. For example, if your work for the community theater is voluntary, that means that you don't get paid for your time. If you're offering your voluntary help in this way, you might also be called a volunteer, someone who offers free help to assist others.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

voluntary voluntaries

“I’m destroyed,” Brookshire Farms co-owner Shawn Callaway told the San Luis Obispo Tribune on Friday, the day the farm reopened after its 10 day voluntary closure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026

COP31 host Turkey is championing a voluntary initiative to accelerate the electrification of transport, buildings and industry, with a target of raising electricity's share of global energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

Every voluntary movement depends on successful communication between the nervous system and the muscles.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 10, 2026

A series of walkouts will be begin on 26 November, in opposition to plans to introduce a voluntary four-day working week.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

To her voluntary communications Emma could get no more approving reply, than,

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Usually these voluntaries were real milk-and-water affairs," he recalled, "but one day the organist did something really wild, which was thrilling.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 5, 2012

The voluntaries she played that day were Dead Marches, and the vicar preached a conscience-shattering sermon upon the text "Lord, who is it?"

From The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight by Elizabeth

It rang the same voluntaries to the Saxons, Danes, and Normans, through the long ages, and, perhaps, tended to soften their antagonisms, and hasten their blending into one great and mighty people. 

From A Walk from London to John O'Groat's by Elihu Burritt

This I insist on in modulator voluntaries and time exercises.

From The Boy's Voice A Book of Practical Information on The Training of Boys' Voices For Church Choirs, &c. by John Spencer Curwen

Mr Timson stopped all this with his ten minutes’ law—ample time as he said; and as Jared Pellet never thought of opposing anybody, the voluntaries were reluctantly brought to an end.

From A Little World by George Manville Fenn

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Related Words

• spontaneous

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