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

O'Malley was later indicted by a Suffolk County Grand Jury on May 20 on the voluntary manslaughter charge. —Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 4 June 2026

But once uproar emerged about data centers hiking up electricity bills, the White House announced a voluntary pledge for AI companies to take a number of measures that would prevent everyday people from paying for data-center electricity. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026

In October 2022, Iris, then 16, applied for voluntary euthanasia — when a medical professional ends a person's life at their request. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

On Wednesday, after the Chiefs’ sixth voluntary OTA practice, defensive line coach Joe Cullen added clarity to the situation. —Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026