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Meaning & use

voluntarily

adverb·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈvɒl.ən.tər.əl.i/
US/ˌvɑː.lənˈter.ə.li/

Meanings

  1. adverbnot comparable

    By your own free choice, with no one forcing you.

    Grammar: Sits before the verb or after it: she voluntarily left, or she left voluntarily.

    Patterns

    • leave voluntarily
    • do something voluntarily

    He voluntarily gave the police his phone.

    Nobody forced her; she resigned voluntarily.

    Several residents voluntarily moved out before the storm.

  2. adverbnot comparable

    Without being paid, as part of unpaid work done to help others.

    Grammar: Often used about work for charities: she works voluntarily at the shelter.

    Patterns

    • work voluntarily

    She voluntarily organizes the community garden.

    Many retired teachers voluntarily tutor children after school.

    The club is run voluntarily by its members.

Common combinations

leave voluntarily
The tenants agreed to leave voluntarily.
voluntarily surrender
The suspect voluntarily surrendered to police.
voluntarily agree
Both companies voluntarily agreed to the new rules.
participate voluntarily
Students participate voluntarily in the study.
voluntarily disclose
The firm voluntarily disclosed the error.

Synonyms and how they differ

willingly
It stresses a ready, happy attitude, while voluntarily stresses the absence of force.
freely
It is broader and also describes unrestricted movement or speech.
of your own accord
It is a longer idiom that sounds slightly more personal.
on purpose
It means deliberately, which is about intent rather than freedom from pressure.

Opposites

involuntarilyreluctantlyunder compulsion

Word family

voluntary adjective
done by free choice
volunteer noun
a person who offers to help without pay
volunteer verb
to offer to do something freely
involuntarily adverb
without choosing or controlling

Commonly confused: voluntarily or voluntary?

voluntarily vs voluntary

Voluntary is the adjective and voluntarily the adverb: a voluntary donation, but she donated voluntarily.

Practice

No one asked him to stay late; he stayed ___ to finish the project.

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