Voluntary — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē/ vol·un·tary

Meaning & Definition of Voluntary

Voluntary (adjective)

  1. proceeding from the will or from one's own choice or consent
  2. unconstrained by interference, self-determining
  3. done by design or intention, intentional

Voluntary (noun)

  1. a prefatory often extemporized musical piece
  2. an improvisatory organ piece played before, during, or after a religious service
  3. one who participates voluntarily

Voluntary (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. done, made, or given with one's own free will

    "a voluntary contribution to the school's fund-raising drive"

    similar: freewill, self-imposed, uncoerced, unforced, volitional, volunteer, willing
    related: discretionary, elective, optional, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unpremeditated, conscious, deliberate, intentional, knowing, willful
    opposite: coerced, compelled, forced, involuntary, nonvoluntary, unwilled, will-less
    near: compulsory, enforced, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required

  2. subject to one's freedom of choice

    "participation in the resort's recreational activities is strictly voluntary"

    similar: discretionary, elective, optional
    related: alternate, alternative, chosen, dispensable, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted
    opposite: compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, nonvoluntary, obligatory, required
    near: essential, indispensable, necessary, requisite

  3. made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing

    "the legal distinctions between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter"

    similar: conscious, deliberate, intended, intentional, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, willed, willful, witting
    related: designed, planned, advised, calculated, considered, measured, reasoned, studied, thoughtful, weighed, premeditated, premeditative, prepense, discretionary, elective, optional, volunteer
    opposite: nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional
    near: inadvertent, unwitting, accidental, chance, haphazard, hit-or-miss, incidental, random, aimless, desultory, purposeless, abrupt, impetuous, sudden, coerced, forced, involuntary, compulsory, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required, casual, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unforced, unpremeditated

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Voluntary

The most common words with a similar meaning to Voluntary:

freewill, self-imposed, uncoerced, unforced, volitional, volunteer, willing, discretionary, elective, optional, conscious, deliberate, intended, intentional, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, willed, willful, witting

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Voluntary

Words with the opposite meaning of Voluntary:

coerced, compelled, forced, involuntary, nonvoluntary, unwilled, will-less, compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, obligatory, required, nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional

Related Words for Voluntary

impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unpremeditated, alternate, alternative, chosen, dispensable, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted, designed, planned, advised, calculated, considered, measured, reasoned, studied, thoughtful, weighed, premeditated, premeditative, prepense

Near Antonyms of Voluntary

enforced, necessary, ordered, essential, indispensable, requisite, inadvertent, unwitting, accidental, chance, haphazard, hit-or-miss, incidental, random, aimless, desultory, purposeless, abrupt, impetuous, sudden, casual, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unforced, unpremeditated

Word Forms of Voluntary

Inflections: voluntaries

Derived words: voluntarily (adverb), voluntariness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Voluntary

Middle English, from Anglo-French voluntarie, from Latin voluntarius, from voluntas will, from velle to will, wish will

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Voluntary

Words & Phrases Containing Voluntary

voluntary muscle, voluntary worker

Frequently Asked Questions about Voluntary

What does "Voluntary" mean?

"Voluntary" means proceeding from the will or from one's own choice or consent. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: proceeding from the will or from one's own choice or consent. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Voluntary"?

Other words for "Voluntary" include freewill, self-imposed, uncoerced, unforced, volitional, volunteer, willing and discretionary. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Voluntary" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Voluntary"?

There are 45 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Voluntary". Common alternatives include freewill, self-imposed, uncoerced, unforced, volitional, volunteer, willing, discretionary, elective and optional.

What is the opposite of "Voluntary"?

Antonyms of "Voluntary" include coerced, compelled, forced, involuntary, nonvoluntary, unwilled, will-less and compulsory. Near antonyms include enforced, necessary, ordered and essential.

How do you use "Voluntary" in a sentence?

Examples of "Voluntary" in a sentence: "a voluntary contribution to the school's fund-raising drive"; "participation in the resort's recreational activities is strictly voluntary"; "the legal distinctions between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter".

Is "Voluntary" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Voluntary" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Voluntary" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Voluntary" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Voluntary"?

"Voluntary" is pronounced /ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē/ and divided into syllables as vol·un·tary.