voluntarily
Americanadverb
-
of one’s own accord or by free choice.
Students were mostly attending the sessions voluntarily, so they were reasonably well-behaved.
-
by volunteers, or in a way that depends on voluntary action.
The Political Science Club is a politically neutral and voluntarily operated nonprofit organization.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of voluntarily
Explanation
Use the adverb voluntarily to describe something you do willingly. For example, you might voluntarily stay home and babysit your little brother if the alternative is a trip to the grocery store. People do things voluntarily when they are completely willing to do them, not forced or enticed by anyone else. Kids tend to eat candy voluntarily, ride their bikes with their friends voluntarily, and watch their favorite shows on TV voluntarily. It's easy to see the connection with the verb to volunteer, and both words are rooted in the Latin root voluntarius, "of one's free will."
Vocabulary lists containing voluntarily
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Chapter 8: Greek Civilization
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Exceptions would be allowed if both parents voluntarily agreed to share parental rights.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Since every major party presidential candidate had voluntarily released their tax returns over the past four decades, it was assumed he would follow suit.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
Satisfied customers voluntarily choose to make business owners rich.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
If voluntarily storing information with Google destroys Fourth Amendment protection, he suggested, why would the same logic not apply to email, documents, cloud photographs, or calendars?
From Slate • May 20, 2026
Talk turns to the possibilities that she has been apprehended and arrested, turned us in voluntarily, or simply been injured in the wave of refugees.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
