Synonyms of voluntary

voluntary

adjective

ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē 

1

as in volunteer

done, made, or given with one's own free will

a voluntary contribution to the school's fund-raising drive

Synonyms & Similar Words

• volunteer
• willing
• spontaneous
• volitional
• elective
• conscious
• uncoerced
• optional
• unforced
• self-imposed
• discretionary
• freewill
• impulsive
• willful
• deliberate
• instinctive
• intentional
• unpremeditated
• knowing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• involuntary
• compelled
• forced
• mandatory
• nonvoluntary
• compulsory
• enforced
• necessary
• coerced
• unwilled
• obligatory
• required
• will-less
• nonelective
• ordered

2

as in optional

subject to one's freedom of choice

participation in the resort's recreational activities is strictly voluntary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• optional
• elective
• discretionary
• alternative
• unnecessary
• unwanted
• alternate
• chosen
• unneeded
• dispensable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mandatory
• compulsory
• obligatory
• required
• nonvoluntary
• necessary
• nonelective
• essential
• requisite
• indispensable

3

as in conscious

made, given, or done with full awareness of what one is doing

the legal distinctions between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

• conscious
• deliberate
• intended
• intentional
• willed
• willful
• purposeful
• purposive
• planned
• knowing
• calculated
• optional
• volunteer
• elective
• witting
• thoughtful
• reasoned
• discretionary
• designed
• set
• considered
• premeditated
• weighed
• advised
• studied
• measured
• premeditative
• prepense

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unintentional
• random
• inadvertent
• accidental
• chance
• incidental
• unwitting
• haphazard
• involuntary
• sudden
• mandatory
• compulsory
• aimless
• necessary
• desultory
• purposeless
• nondeliberate
• abrupt
• impetuous
• nonpurposive
• obligatory
• forced
• required
• spontaneous
• hit-or-miss
• casual
• instinctive
• ordered
• impromptu
• coerced
• impulsive
• nonelective
• extemporaneous
• unforced
• unpremeditated

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

Recent Examples of voluntary

The earlier request to interview Musk and Yaccarino was described as voluntary. —ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026

But as the former commissioners argue in their amicus brief, voluntary reporting is the standard for nearly all of the 20,000 drugs currently approved by the agency. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 8 May 2026

The Dallas Cowboys’ offseason is entering a dead stretch, as the veterans have ended the voluntary workout phase, the rookies have come and gone for minicamp, and nothing is on the slate for the team until voluntary OTAs on June 1. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026

This means that adherence to a code of ethics or professional standards is voluntary in the journalism, PR, and advertising fields. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026