adjective

voluntary

VOL-uhn-tree

adjective

Done by choice, not because of an obligation or force.

"Attendance at the workshop is voluntary."

"She made a voluntary donation to the shelter."

Unpaid, especially describing work done for a good cause.

"He spends his weekends doing voluntary work at the food bank."

How to Use Voluntary

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething you choose to do, freely, and often without pay.

Easily confused with

voluntarily →

Common pairings

voluntary work voluntary basis strictly voluntary

more voluntary comparative, more voluntary comparative, voluntaries plural, most voluntary superlative, most voluntary superlative

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Attendance at the workshop is _____.

From Latin voluntarius, "willing," from voluntas, "will" or "wish."

discretionary optional volitional willful intentional

antonym(s) of compulsory accidental obligatory paid salaried

accidental derivative anarchy conscious paid fact artificial textile

vary Mary nary wary Gary Cary diary ovary weary scary teary deary

discretionary optional volitional willful intentional antonym(s) of compulsory accidental obligatory paid salaried derivative