1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

freewill 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrē-ˌwil How to pronounce freewill (audio)
Definition of freewillnext
as in voluntary
done, made, or given with one's own free will our office staff made a freewill offering for UNESCO

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

free will

2 of 2

noun

as in choice
the act or power of making one's own choices or decisions all of the workers at the homeless shelter are unpaid and are there of their own free will

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of freewill
Adjective
All, too, will take place without a live audience and include links for freewill donations to nonprofits supporting Cleveland-area musicians and musical programs during coronavirus. — Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 2 June 2020 The free community event is sponsored by Spiritual Church of Escondido; freewill offering will be accepted. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2019
Noun
The poem draws on Greek mythology to weave a morality tale exploring themes of hospitality, hubris, loyalty, temptation, and free will. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026 The patient must be in an advanced or terminal stage, experiencing pain that cannot be relieved or is unbearable, and seeking lethal medication of their own free will. — ABC News, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for freewill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freewill
  1. voluntary
  2. choice
  3. volunteer
  4. will
  5. willing
Adjective
  • Colonizers call it voluntary emigration, but there is nothing voluntary about fleeing after your home has been bombed, your fields poisoned, your water cut off and your child buried.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The News More than two dozen organizations from both the left and right are urging the White House to publicly release its voluntary AI security framework, per a letter shared first with Semafor.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of voluntary
Noun
  • As The Athletic detailed here, the Clippers’ chance at taking the arbitration route was eliminated by the National Basketball Players Association’s choice to agree with the NBA on the ruling.
    — Law Murray, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Price controls don't make scarce goods abundant, risky loans safe or bad choices cost-free.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of choice
Adjective
  • Within the past couple of years, the group has become a part of Arrowhead Kingdom, an all-volunteer national network of Chiefs fan groups.
    — Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023
  • That’s noteworthy for a show based at a high-school auditorium in Litchfield and run by a staff that is almost entirely volunteer, including the show’s star and its producer.
    — Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2022
Definition of volunteer
Noun
  • Perspectives Ideas expressed in the piece The column argues that free and fair elections are the foundation of representative democracy and that preserving broad access to the ballot is essential to honoring the will of the people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • There is perhaps a subtle critique here, of the predatory instincts of the filmmaker towards their subject, of the desire to invade someone else’s life and shape their reality according to your own will.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of will
Adjective
  • In a role and contract considerate of those things, Chicago was willing to take a swing at his talent.
    — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Even more surprising is that it’s been reported that Netflix is even willing to release box-office numbers for these films.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of willing

Browse Nearby Words

freewheeling
freewill
free will
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freewill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freewill. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All