volunteerism

noun

vol·​un·​teer·​ism ˌvä-lən-ˈtir-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce volunteerism (audio)
1
2
: the act or practice of doing volunteer work in community service

Examples of volunteerism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s because community service and volunteerism were staples in the Murphy household. Scott Talley, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025 But volunteerism isn’t just about large-scale organizations. Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025 Her lifelong passion for the arts, education, health research and volunteerism culminated in recent years with the creation of The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation. David Moin, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2025 Bregni has been recognized for his volunteerism with the 2019 IEEE ComSoc/KICS Exemplary Global Service Award and the 2014 IEEE ComSoc Hal Sobol Award for Exemplary Service to Meetings and Conferences. IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for volunteerism

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of volunteerism was in 1844

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Volunteerism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volunteerism. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!