voluntary
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.done or given because you want to do it, not because someone forces you.
adj.performed, given, or acting of one's own free will rather than under compulsion.
Simple“Attendance at the after-school club is strictly voluntary for all students.”
In context“The company requested voluntary redundancies to avoid the need for compulsory layoffs during the restructuring process.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.working or done without receiving any money or payment.
adj.working or performed without payment, typically within a charitable or community context.
Simple“She does voluntary work at the local animal shelter on weekends.”
In context“The charity relies heavily on voluntary contributions and the dedication of its unpaid staff to maintain its outreach programmes.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.done on purpose or by design.
adj.relating to actions controlled by the will; intentional rather than accidental or automatic.
Simple“Walking is a voluntary action, unlike the beating of your heart.”
In context“The patient regained voluntary control over his leg muscles after several months of intensive physical therapy.”
UsageOften used in biology to describe muscle movements.
Teacher's tipIn a medical or biological context, this is the opposite of a reflex.
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a piece of music played on an organ, usually at the start or end of a church service.
n.an organ solo played before, during, or after a religious service, often involving improvisation.
Simple“The organist played a beautiful voluntary as the wedding guests left the church.”
In context“The service concluded with a spirited trumpet voluntary that resonated throughout the cathedral's vaulted nave.”
“Signing up with an agency for voluntary work at events has also got her into gigs and festivals for nothing.”
“Photograph: AP Since then, Moscow has avoided another deeply unpopular call-up by relying largely on high paid voluntary contracts to fill the ranks with roughly 1.3 million contract soldiers Russia has recruited since.”
From Middle English voluntarie, from Old French volontaire, from Latin voluntārius (“willing, of free will”), from voluntās (“will, choice, desire”), from volēns, present participle of volo (“to will”). Displaced native Old English selfwille (literally “self-willed”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.