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
Smile
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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.
“It is about whether sophisticated parties are required to honor the agreements they voluntarily negotiated after success had already arrived.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026
This is called a return and can happen voluntarily or involuntarily.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
For decades, Fourth Amendment doctrine has rested uneasily upon the so-called third-party doctrine, the proposition that information voluntarily shared with someone else generally loses constitutional protection.
From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026
“Spending Clause statutes can bind only those who voluntarily and knowingly undertake obligations by agreement with the federal government.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
No man in his right senses would voluntarily choose such a life in preference to the one of normal, family, social life which exists in every civilized community.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
