voluntary

voluntary — adjective

1. Done because you choose to do it, not because someone forces you or pays you to

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Done because you choose to do it, not because someone forces you or pays you to do it.

Example

The school relies on voluntary help from parents to keep the library open.

collocation: voluntary help / voluntary donation

Ziad made a voluntary choice to leave his job and travel for a year.

collocation: voluntary choice / voluntary decision

Common collocations
  • voluntary decision
  • voluntary choice
  • voluntary action
  • voluntary agreement
  • voluntary recall
  • voluntary redundancy
  • voluntary return
  • voluntary basis
Synonyms
  • optional

    suggests you can choose whether to do something, but does not carry the same sense of personal willingness

  • elective

    refers to choices made among options, especially courses or positions; more formal

  • unpaid

    focuses on receiving no money rather than on the freedom of choice

Antonyms
  • compulsory

    required by rule or law; the opposite of voluntary in educational or workplace contexts

  • mandatory

    required by an authority; stronger in tone than compulsory

  • involuntary

    happening without choice, often due to circumstances beyond one's control

Grammar Patterns

voluntary + noun

be + voluntary

Common Mistakes

The class is voluntary to attend.
Attendance at the class is voluntary.
'voluntary' describes the thing itself, not an action you take.

2. Relating to an organisation whose members work without pay and donate resources

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

Relating to an organisation whose members work without pay and donate resources to support a social or charitable purpose.

Example

The community centre is a voluntary organisation run entirely by local residents.

collocation: voluntary organisation / voluntary group

Apinya donated her old winter clothes to a voluntary group that supports refugees.

Common collocations
  • voluntary organisation
  • voluntary sector
  • voluntary group
  • voluntary agency
  • voluntary association
  • voluntary service
  • voluntary work
Synonyms
  • charitable

    more specific — describes an organisation whose main purpose is to help people in need

  • non-profit

    focuses on the legal structure; does not necessarily imply volunteers run it

  • amateur

    emphasises that people are not paid, but can imply a lower skill level

Antonyms
  • commercial

    run for profit rather than for social benefit

  • paid

    describes work for which people receive wages

Grammar Patterns

voluntary + noun

Usage Note

In British English, 'the voluntary sector' is a standard term for charities and non-profit organisations, used alongside 'the public sector' (government) and 'the private sector' (business).

Common Mistakes

She works for a voluntary company.
She works for a voluntary organisation.
'voluntary' describes charities and non-profit groups, not commercial businesses.

voluntary — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Voluntary, optional, and elective all describe choices, but they differ in context. Voluntary emphasises that an action is done without force or payment — you choose to do it because you want to. Optional focuses on whether something is required or not; an optional activity can be skipped with no consequence. Elective usually refers to courses or positions that people select from available options. Unpaid specifically highlights that no money is received for the work, regardless of whether the person chose it freely. Willing describes a person's attitude of readiness rather than the nature of the action itself. For example, you might make a voluntary donation to a charity, attend an optional training session after work, or serve on an elective committee.

voluntary ↗optional ↗elective ↗unpaid ↗willing ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • on a voluntary basis
  • voluntary redundancy
  • voluntary work
  • voluntary sector
  • voluntary return

Prepositions

  • on a ~ basis

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Voluntary comes from the Latin word 'voluntarius', meaning 'willing, of one's own free will'. This is based on 'voluntas', meaning 'will, wish, desire', which in turn comes from 'velle', meaning 'to wish or to want'. The word entered English through French in the late 14th century. The noun sense referring to organ music first appeared in the 16th century, originally describing a piece played at the performer's own choice.