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
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
However, Anthropic’s Mythos release spooked Trump into requesting voluntary safety testing of frontier models in May.
—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
1 July 2026
It's also activated its voluntary load reduction program and is asking large commercial and industrial customers to cut their electricity use.
—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Tate's filing came the same day that a source close to Taylor told PEOPLE that Taylor recently checked in for a voluntary stint in a mental health treatment facility.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 July 2026
So critically, that kind of voluntary agreement doesn’t mention anything about vehicle data and telemetry, and this is going to become very important soon in this part of the story.
—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for voluntary
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
1 July 2026
It's also activated its voluntary load reduction program and is asking large commercial and industrial customers to cut their electricity use.
—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Tate's filing came the same day that a source close to Taylor told PEOPLE that Taylor recently checked in for a voluntary stint in a mental health treatment facility.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 July 2026
So critically, that kind of voluntary agreement doesn’t mention anything about vehicle data and telemetry, and this is going to become very important soon in this part of the story.
—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
1 July 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.
-
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.
Adjective
-
The company is selling highly customizable electric vehicles that come with few standard features, but plenty of optional add-ons.
-
An optional passenger display also makes its debut on the BMW X5.
Adjective
-
Factor meals are made with health-conscious ingredients that can cater to your dietary needs, ranging from Keto to vegan and beyond.
-
As an ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, Howard is conscious of what his appearance at The Open could mean to younger people living with the condition and to their families.
Adjective
-
And until organizations are willing to ask structural questions rather than people questions, the condition will persist — well-documented, carefully measured, and entirely unresolved.
-
But so far, shoppers don't appear willing to abandon their summer grilling traditions.
Adjective
-
The design is open and clean, with a deliberate choice to draw the surrounding scenery deep into the interior of the home.
-
Prosecutors call Hearn’s actions a deliberate, violent act causing more than $1,000 in damage, and his attorneys denounce the case as an alarming misuse of government power.
Adjective
-
If the device experience fails, the software running on it rarely delivers its intended value.
-
The plaintiffs have also accused Bayer of negligence and misrepresentation of Roundup's safety in its marketing, and have alleged that the product was defective for its intended purpose.
Adjective
-
Tumpa, her nephew, and Oro Recovery were also all accused of intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy by public disclosure of private facts.
-
Under church law, the consecrations constitute a schismatic act, or an intentional rupture of the unity of the Catholic Church, and incur automatic excommunication for the four bishops and the bishop administering the consecration.
Adjective
-
Some of Thomas’s critique appeared to be aimed at weak-willed conservatives, including his fellow-Justices, for being, as Thomas perceives it, too spineless to stand up for the ideals enshrined in the Declaration.
-
Meanwhile, gracious but iron-willed family matriarch Claudine works tirelessly behind the scenes to hush up family scandals.
Cite this Entry
“Voluntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluntary. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
