Volunteer — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˌvä-lən-ˈtir/ vol·un·teer

Meaning & Definition of Volunteer

Volunteer (noun)

  1. a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service
  2. one who enters into military service voluntarily
  3. one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest

Volunteer (verb)

  1. to offer oneself as a volunteer
  2. to offer or bestow voluntarily

Volunteer (adjective)

  1. being, consisting of, or engaged in by volunteers
  2. growing spontaneously without direct human control or supervision especially from seeds lost from a previous crop

Volunteer (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in enlistee

    similar: enlistee
    opposite: conscript, draftee, inductee, selectee, levy, recruit, rookie

Volunteer (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a present of

    "trained tax consultants who volunteer their services at tax time"

    similar: bestow, contribute, donate, give, give away, present, give of
    related: chip in, kick in, pitch in, throw in, award, confer, endow, endue, render, afford, comp, furnish, provide, lavish, regale, aid, assist, benefit, help, administer, dish out, dispense, dole out, hand out, impart, issue, mete (out), extend, fork (over, out, or up), offer, pay, proffer, pungle (up), put up, tender, sacrifice
    near: hold, keep, pocket, retain, withhold, preserve, save, advance, lend, loan, sell

Volunteer (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

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

    "volunteer work at the hospital"

    similar: freewill, self-imposed, uncoerced, unforced, volitional, voluntary, 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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Volunteer

The most common words with a similar meaning to Volunteer:

enlistee, bestow, contribute, donate, give, give away, present, give of, freewill, self-imposed, uncoerced, unforced, volitional, voluntary, willing

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Volunteer

Words with the opposite meaning of Volunteer:

conscript, draftee, inductee, selectee, levy, recruit, rookie, coerced, compelled, forced, involuntary, nonvoluntary, unwilled, will-less

Related Words for Volunteer

chip in, kick in, pitch in, throw in, award, confer, endow, endue, render, afford, comp, furnish, provide, lavish, regale, aid, assist, benefit, help, administer, dish out, dispense, dole out, hand out, impart, issue, mete (out), extend, fork (over, out, or up), offer

Near Antonyms of Volunteer

hold, keep, pocket, retain, withhold, preserve, save, advance, lend, loan, sell, compulsory, enforced, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required

Word Forms of Volunteer

Inflections: volunteered, volunteering, volunteers

Origin & Etymology of Volunteer

obsolete French voluntaire (now volontaire), from voluntaire, adjective, voluntary, from Old French, from Latin voluntarius

First known use: circa 1618

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Volunteer

Frequently Asked Questions about Volunteer

What does "Volunteer" mean?

"Volunteer" means a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Volunteer"?

Other words for "Volunteer" include enlistee, bestow, contribute, donate, give, give away, present and give of. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Volunteer" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Volunteer"?

There are 63 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Volunteer". Common alternatives include enlistee, bestow, contribute, donate, give, give away, present, give of, freewill and self-imposed.

What is the opposite of "Volunteer"?

Antonyms of "Volunteer" include conscript, draftee, inductee, selectee, levy, recruit, rookie and coerced. Near antonyms include hold, keep, pocket and retain.

How do you use "Volunteer" in a sentence?

Examples of "Volunteer" in a sentence: "trained tax consultants who volunteer their services at tax time"; "volunteer work at the hospital".

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

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

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

As a B1-level word, "Volunteer" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Volunteer"?

"Volunteer" is pronounced /ˌvä-lən-ˈtir/ and divided into syllables as vol·un·teer.