Definition of voluntarynext
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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

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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 In this voluntary role, his advocacy activities have included bike lanes in high-risk areas and improvement of bicycle parking. Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 But jail accreditation is entirely voluntary, noted Marcella Alsan, a physician and economist at Harvard who co-authored the study. Hannah Harris Green, STAT, 26 June 2026 The review will be conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and will examine the decades-old California Coastal Management Program, a voluntary, federal-state partnership established through the Coastal Management Act. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Those who did were asked whether participation should be required, while those who opposed it were asked whether it should be allowed only if participation was voluntary. Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 25 June 2026 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
  • Garden trowel Mulch (optional) Prepare the soil by loosening it up with a garden trowel.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 22 June 2026
  • Wearing a life jacket isn’t optional for children.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 22 June 2026
Adjective
  • Firefighters have declared the blaze knocked down but will stay on scene for flare-ups as demolition begins, while officials promise a health-conscious cleanup that minimizes impacts on surrounding residents.
    Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Anderson’s more low-key reveal could be chalked up to such factors as the union was her husband’s second, as well as the ongoing political unrest and cost-conscious consumers.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Charles may be willing to reopen family conversations, while William remains focused on protecting the institution and the people closest to him.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026
  • In the immediate future, Lendeborg is already a high-quality rebounder and a willing defender who was twice the American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year at Alabama-Birmingham.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
Adjective
  • What is needed now is a deliberate consolidation of overlapping groups into effective coalitions, accompanied by rigorous tracking of donors and their commitments.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
  • Also woven into the story is Lim Bo Seng, the real-life resistance leader who serves as a mentor figure to Kai, and Takeshi Inoue, a Japanese officer drawn with deliberate moral complexity.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 June 2026
Adjective
  • The plaintiffs have also accused Bayer of negligence and misrepresentation of Roundup's safety in its marketing, and have alleged that the product was defective for its intended purpose.
    Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • Just avoid overinvesting at the same time to allow your other assets to perform as intended.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Adjective
  • If anything, the dichotomy between the pop star who prances around Versailles in a sheer nightie and the pop star who stomps onstage in knee-high combat boots feels completely authentic and intentional.
    Chelsey Sanchez, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
  • Was that an intentional choice throughout the season?
    Arushi Jacob, Variety, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • Some of Thomas’s critique appeared to be aimed at weak-willed conservatives, including his fellow-Justices, for being, as Thomas perceives it, too spineless to stand up for the ideals enshrined in the Declaration.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
  • Meanwhile, gracious but iron-willed family matriarch Claudine works tirelessly behind the scenes to hush up family scandals.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Voluntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluntary. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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