Meaning & use
volunteerism
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
The practice or principle of giving unpaid time to help others or support a cause.
Grammar: Uncountable, so no plural and no 'a' before it.
Patterns
- volunteerism among someone
- a culture of volunteerism
- promote volunteerism
The school encourages volunteerism among its students.
Her volunteerism at the animal shelter inspired others.
Corporate volunteerism has become a popular way for companies to give back.
Common combinations
- promote volunteerism
- The campaign aims to promote volunteerism in rural areas.
- a culture of volunteerism
- The country has a strong culture of volunteerism.
- corporate volunteerism
- Corporate volunteerism allows employees to help local charities.
- youth volunteerism
- Youth volunteerism has risen in recent years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- volunteering
- Volunteering refers to the actual activity of doing unpaid work, while volunteerism often refers to the broader idea or movement.
- community service
- Community service is often used for unpaid work that is required (e.g., by a court or school) or done locally, whereas volunteerism is usually voluntary.
Word family
Commonly confused: volunteerism or voluntarism?
volunteerism vs voluntarism
Voluntarism is a philosophical or political doctrine that voluntary action is the basis of society; volunteerism is specifically about unpaid helping work.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'volunteerism' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Volunteerism is an uncountable noun meaning the practice or principle of volunteering. It is not used as a verb (so 'does volunteerism' or 'volunteerismed' are wrong), and it takes a singular verb ('is', not 'are').
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “volunteerism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.