Meaning & use

voluntarily

adverb·Academic

Done by one's own free choice, without being forced or paid.

See it in a sentence

Several employees voluntarily agreed to work over the holiday to help the understaffed team.

She voluntarily gave up her seat so the elderly man could sit down.

A note on using this word

Voluntarily emphasizes that an action was chosen freely, often contrasted with actions required by law, obligation, or coercion.

Words with a similar meaning

willinglyfreely

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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