voluntary

1 done, made, or given with one's own free will a voluntary contribution to the school's fund-raising drive Synonyms freewill, self-imposed, uncoerced, unforced, volitional, volunteer, willing Related Words discretionary, elective, optional; impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unpremeditated; conscious, deliberate, intentional, knowing, willful (or wilful) Near Antonyms compulsory, enforced, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required Antonyms coerced, compelled, forced, involuntary, nonvoluntary, unwilled, will-less

2 subject to one's freedom of choice participation in the resort's recreational activities is strictly voluntary Synonyms discretionary, elective, optionalRelated Words alternate, alternative, chosen; dispensable, unnecessary, unneeded, unwantedNear Antonyms essential, indispensable, necessary, requisiteAntonyms compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, nonvoluntary, obligatory, required

3 made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing the legal distinctions between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter Synonyms conscious, deliberate, intended, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, intentional, willed, willful (or wilful), wittingRelated Words designed, planned; conscious; advised, calculated, considered, measured, reasoned, studied, thoughtful, weighed; premeditated, premeditative, prepense; discretionary, elective, optional, volunteerNear Antonyms inadvertent, unwitting; accidental, chance, haphazard, hit-or-miss, incidental, random; aimless, desultory, purposeless; abrupt, impetuous, sudden; coerced, forced, involuntary; compulsory, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, ordered, required; casual; extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unforced, unpremeditatedAntonyms nondeliberate, nonpurposive, unintentional