1
2
as in optional
subject to one's freedom of choice participation in the resort's recreational activities is strictly voluntary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word voluntary different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of voluntary are deliberate, intentional, and willing. While all these words mean "done or brought about of one's own will," voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

Where would deliberate be a reasonable alternative to voluntary?

While the synonyms deliberate and voluntary are close in meaning, deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

When is it sensible to use intentional instead of voluntary?

Although the words intentional and voluntary have much in common, intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

When could willing be used to replace voluntary?

The synonyms willing and voluntary are sometimes interchangeable, but willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

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 voluntary About the music program in the Mecklenburg jail The music program is voluntary; inmates in good behavior standing can sign up for it. Sydney Sasser, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2025 This is also not the first time companies have made voluntary pledges to remove artificial dyes from their products. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025 The voluntary program provides resources to schools for assessing and recognizing youth fitness, shifting its emphasis from athleticism to overall health. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 1 Aug. 2025 Jose Luis Salgado pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and street terrorism. City News Service, Oc Register, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for voluntary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voluntary
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
Adjective
  • Final Thoughts Adaptive leadership is not optional in today’s world.
    Jason Ballard, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
    Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Be aware of your surroundings: If running outdoors, be conscious of holes on trails, traffic on streets, or others around you.
    Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2025
  • The process begins by applying several existing tests to healthy adults: people who scientists can be confident are conscious.
    Mariana Lenharo & Nature magazine, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Creative spirit, talent and timely cultural relevance can’t be replaced by AI, but creatives must be willing to explore AI as an important tool that can maximize their work through refinement and customization.
    Emily Ketchen, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • There's immediate revenue to be made if a company with deep pockets like Amazon is willing to pay SpaceX. Second, the other options to get Kuiper satellites into orbit just aren't available at the volume Amazon needs.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In this environment, Block’s launch of mining hardware and software reads as a deliberate bid to address the industry’s deepest pain points.
    Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Cheeks said that the hotel was designed with a very deliberate strategy in mind: to secure a four-diamond AAA rating, a distinction already held by several of Jamul’s competitors — Sycuan, Viejas and Pala in San Diego County, and Pechanga in Temecula.
    Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Recorded video is serviceable for the intended purpose but isn’t going to replace your GoPro or Insta360 footage quite yet.
    William Roberson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The nozzle at the bottom of one of the solid rocket boosters fell off the launcher moments after liftoff, but the motor continued firing, and Vulcan still made it to its intended orbit.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet closing the funding gap for female founders will still require intentional investment at all stages.
    Liz Elting, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • After a Bryce Teodosio sacrifice, an intentional walk to Neto and a Nolan Schanuel fly ball, the score was tied.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Claiborne said the property was eventually willed to Vanderbilt University, which in turn sold it to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in 1968.
    Austin Hornbostel, The Tennessean, 4 July 2025
  • Connor McDavid almost single-handedly willed the Oilers to a comeback win in Game 1 with four points from the end of the second period onward.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Voluntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluntary. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on voluntary

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!