Voluntary: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：done by choice (voluntary)

voluntary 🔊

/ˈvɒlənt(ə)ri/

adj.

Done because you want to do it, not because you have to.

Voluntary action illustrated by a young person willingly helping an elderly neighbor with groceries.

done by choice 🔊

➕

/dʌn baɪ tʃɔɪs/

adj.

Describes an action or activity that is performed willingly, without external force or legal obligation.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'voluntarius', meaning 'of one's own will', derived from 'voluntas' (will).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a VOLUNTEER. Both start with 'volun-' and involve doing something willingly.

📖 Example

On weekends, she does voluntary work to help clean up the local beach. 🔊 On weekends, she performs unpaid work by choice to help clean up the local beach.

🔗 Collocations

voluntary work – unpaid work done by choice, often for a charity or community

voluntary contribution – a donation or payment made willingly, not as a fee

voluntary admission – entering a hospital or program by one's own decision

🔄 Synonyms

optional (adj.) – available to be chosen but not mandatory

unforced (adj.) – done without being pressured or compelled

willing (adj.) – ready and happy to do something

🚫 Antonyms

compulsory (adj.) – required by law or a rule; mandatory

mandatory (adj.) – required by law or rules; obligatory

involuntary (adj.) – done without conscious control or against one's will

🌱 Derivatives

volunteer (n./v.) – a person who does voluntary work; to offer to do something voluntarily

voluntarism (n.) – the principle of relying on voluntary action

voluntarily (adv.) – in a voluntary manner; of one's own free will

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Latin 'voluntarius', relating to free will and choice. It's a key term in modern contexts like voluntary service (e.g., the Peace Corps) and legal distinctions (e.g., voluntary vs. involuntary actions).