volunteering

volunteering — verb

1. to offer to carry out a task or take on a role without being paid or required to

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to offer to carry out a task or take on a role without being paid or required to do it — for example, helping at a local shelter, working on a community clean-up, or serving as a tutor.

Example

Mert volunteered to wash the dishes after the big family dinner.

volunteer + to-infinitive for offering to do a task

Élise volunteers at the animal shelter every Saturday morning.

volunteer + at + [location] for regular unpaid work

Common collocations
  • volunteer for a task
  • volunteer at a shelter
  • volunteer as a tutor
  • volunteer time
  • volunteer services
  • volunteer to help
Synonyms
  • offer

    broader: 'offer' can apply to objects or money; 'volunteer' specifically relates to one's time or effort

  • step forward

    more informal and dramatic; implies coming out of a group to volunteer

  • sign up

    suggests joining an organised programme rather than an impromptu offer

Antonyms
  • conscript

    to force someone into service, the opposite of offering freely

Grammar Patterns

volunteer + to-infinitive

volunteer + for + noun phrase

volunteer + as + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'to' + infinitive (volunteer to do something) or the preposition 'for' (volunteer for a role). When transitive, the object is typically time, services, or help — not a person.

Common Mistakes

She volunteered to help at the charity event because she wanted to volunteer for helping.
She volunteered to help at the charity event.
avoid redundant phrasing with 'volunteer for' + gerund when the infinitive is clearer.

2. to offer information, an opinion, or an answer without being asked — as when som

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to offer information, an opinion, or an answer without being asked — as when someone says they know something relevant before a question is asked.

Example

Without anyone asking, Iris volunteered that she had seen the missing cat near the river.

volunteer + that-clause for offering information unsolicited

At the meeting, Manuela volunteered her opinion about the proposed budget changes.

volunteer + possessive + opinion/facts for offering a view

Common collocations
  • volunteer information
  • volunteer an opinion
  • volunteer an answer
  • volunteer details
  • volunteer that...
Synonyms
  • offer

    more general; 'volunteer' adds the nuance of providing without being asked

  • disclose

    more formal; implies revealing something previously hidden

  • divulge

    more formal and often carries a sense of revealing something sensitive

Antonyms
  • withhold

    to keep information back, the opposite of offering it freely

Grammar Patterns

volunteer + that-clause

volunteer + noun phrase (information, opinion, answer)

Usage Note

This sense typically takes a that-clause or a noun phrase such as 'information', 'opinion', or 'answer'. It often carries a nuance of providing more than was requested.

Common Mistakes

He told the police everything because they asked him.
He volunteered the information to the police before they even asked.
'volunteer' implies giving information freely, not under questioning.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe making oneself available for something, but they differ in context and connotation. 'Offer' is the broadest: you can offer help, money, or an object — it does not imply unpaid work. 'Volunteer' specifically suggests unpaid effort and often a sense of personal initiative. 'Step forward' is more dramatic and informal, used when someone emerges from a group to take on a difficult task. 'Sign up' adds the idea of formally registering for an organised programme (e.g. signing up for a charity run). 'Enlist' is more formal and often military — it means to join an organised effort, not just offer help spontaneously. For everyday unpaid help, 'volunteer' is the most natural choice: 'She volunteered at the food bank every Saturday.' whereas 'She signed up at the food bank' sounds like she registered rather than actively helped.

offer ↗step forwardsign upenlist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • volunteer one's time
  • volunteer for duty
  • volunteer to help out

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'voluntarius' meaning 'willing, of one's own free will', via French 'volontaire'. The verb sense dates to the mid-18th century, originally used in military contexts for those who enlisted by choice rather than by conscription. The modern meaning of unpaid community service emerged in the early 20th century.