Meaning & use
voluntary
Last updated
Done, given, or acting of one's own free will, without being forced or paid.
See it in a sentence
Attendance at the workshop is voluntary, not mandatory.
She spends her weekends doing voluntary work at the animal shelter.
A note on using this word
'Voluntary' can describe both an unpaid activity, as in voluntary work, and any action taken freely rather than under obligation.
Words with a similar meaning
optionalwilling
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “voluntary”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.