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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of voluntary
Lamb didn’t get his deal until a little over two weeks before the season began, leading to his holdout lasting throughout voluntary workouts, OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp.
—
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2025
That update is expected to include the State Department’s latest estimates of voluntary retirements and separations and how those will affect potential future layoffs to meet benchmarks from Musk’s group and the government’s human resources agency, according to officials familiar with the process.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Kenneth Chaney, 23, pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and assault with a semi-automatic firearm for the May 23, 2023, death of 20-year-old Trey Walker, who was shot in the neck in the courtyard outside the library.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
The firing squad team − three voluntary corrections staff − stood behind a wall with loaded rifles 15 feet from Mahdi.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for voluntary
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2025
That update is expected to include the State Department’s latest estimates of voluntary retirements and separations and how those will affect potential future layoffs to meet benchmarks from Musk’s group and the government’s human resources agency, according to officials familiar with the process.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Kenneth Chaney, 23, pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and assault with a semi-automatic firearm for the May 23, 2023, death of 20-year-old Trey Walker, who was shot in the neck in the courtyard outside the library.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
The firing squad team − three voluntary corrections staff − stood behind a wall with loaded rifles 15 feet from Mahdi.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, WhatsApp assured users via BBC News that its suddenly ever-present blue circle is optional, despite being unremovable.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The long cargo rack to the rear can accommodate up to two children in optional seating, or the weekly shop secured in MIK-compatible storage accessories.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The victim, a man in his 20s, was alert and conscious and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, Boisvert said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
-
First responders arrived at the scene around 10:03 a.m. to find Joseph conscious and alert, the sheriff's office said.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Supreme Court sounded willing to allow an Atlanta family to sue the FBI for compensation over the mistaken search of their home, but reluctant to define how much protection law enforcement officers deserve in carrying out their jobs.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Asking for referrals from other agents can also lead you to experienced mentors who are willing to help.—
David Price,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Not an add-on department, but a deliberate disruption team.—
Abigail Stuart,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Such a method is needed in order to understand African Americans’ deliberate retooling of British literature, drawing attention to the systemic social forces at play as well as the minute mechanisms of textual appropriation.—
Abby Clayton,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Perhaps the solace of a tour in New York at the United Nations will serve the intended purpose of keeping Waltz from ever openly breaking with the President.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
1 May 2025
-
But the intended fix, local homelike centers, hasn't filled the void.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This discipline of separating fact from opinion is needed to turn reactive patterns into intentional awareness.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Small, intentional steps can lead to long-term stability.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Carnegie is convinced that sincerity is as easily willed as a ready smile and a memory for names.—
Ann Hulbert,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The entire texture of that life, its willed imposture.—
Joyce Carol Oates,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Voluntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluntary. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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