VOLUNTARY Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

voluntary

adjective

ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē

Definition of voluntary

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Most gambling sites, including FanDuel and Kalshi, offer tools to head off trouble, such as budgeting features, voluntary account suspensions and programs that flag changes in behavior. — Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Sep. 2026 The decision establishing the fund is very clear that contributions are voluntary and the act of contributing should not be interpreted as an acknowledgment of liability. — Tarun Gopalakrishnan, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026 Advocates of this approach say voluntary reviews and existing agency powers provide flexibility and speed, whereas mandatory licensing or extended preclearance windows could bog down industry and drive cutting‑edge work overseas. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 His subjects are voluntary members of the American elite who were at no risk of imprisonment or impoverishment. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 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

Definition of volunteer

Adjective

By putting the spa before the staterooms, this design flips the superyacht script from conspicuous consumption to conscious longevity.

— Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2026
For years, Connecticut’s position atop the list of states with the priciest electric bills has served as an election-year mantra for Republicans and other critics of the state’s climate-conscious energy strategy.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of conscious

Adjective

The right-wing movements that emerged around the world in the mid-twentieth century were both highly nationalistic and willing to work across borders.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 22 Sep. 2026
Pierce and others used the image of the statue to promote a memecoin — a type of cryptocurrency, typically based on a viral joke or meme — whose worth is only as much as people are willing to speculate and pay.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of willing

Adjective

Poetry tends to be differentiated from prose by a deliberate organization of language that’s not determined by the page itself.

— Amy Cannon, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
This further reinforces the need to make deliberate choices about what to build, what to license and where to focus engineering resources to create the most value.

— Iri Trashanski, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of deliberate

Adjective

In his dissent, Scalia argued that the ESA was written narrowly to prohibit the intentional hunting and killing of vulnerable animals, not to broadly protect species at the population level.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
Punkt pairs intentional use with privacy, while Mudita centers mindful living and E Ink displays.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of intentional

Adjective

Anyone who has a negative reaction to this is a weak-willed loser who has ZERO idea how bad Texan has become and is more than likely complicit in selling out our state.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026
Breanna Stewart | Forward Stewart put this team on her back and practically willed it to its fifth consecutive World Cup title.

— Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of willed

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voluntarily

voluntary

volunteer

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“Voluntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluntary. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of voluntary

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