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

Jeremy Perrien was taken in for a voluntary interview by a highway patrol trooper, according to court documents. — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

But voluntary agreements with the health industry can prove ineffective. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

The balances stem from SpaceX's change to its voluntary Starlink referral program, which rewards existing subscribers for introducing new customers to the satellite internet service. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026

The March 2001 sweeping Disney reduction of 4,000 jobs globally came through a combination of voluntary buyouts and subsequent layoffs. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026