Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: voluntarius, from voluntas 'will', from velle 'to will, wish'

voluntary

1 adjective
     
vol‧un‧ta‧ry1 W3
1

without being paid

a) SSO

voluntary organization/association/agency etc

an organization etc that is organized or supported by people who give their money, services etc because they want to and who do not intend to make a profit:
a voluntary organization providing help for the elderly
environmental work carried out by the voluntary sector
b)

voluntary work/service etc

work etc that is done by people who do it because they want to, and who are not paid:
She does a lot of voluntary work for the Red Cross.
a drop-in centre for homeless people, run on a voluntary basis
2

without being forced

done willingly and without being forced:
Workers are being encouraged to take voluntary redundancy.
 ➔ compulsory
3

movement of the body

technicalHBH voluntary movements of your body are controlled by your conscious mind [≠ involuntary]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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