voluntary

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French voluntarie, from Latin voluntarius, from voluntas will, from velle to will, wish — more at will Date: 14th century 1. proceeding from the will or from one's own choice or consent 2. unconstrained by interference ; self-determining 3. done by design or intention ; intentional <

voluntary manslaughter

> 4. of, relating to, subject to, or regulated by the will <

voluntary behavior

> 5. having power of free choice 6. provided or supported by voluntary action <

a voluntary organization

> 7. acting or done of one's own free will without valuable consideration or legal obligation • voluntarily adverb • voluntariness noun Synonyms: voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will. voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion <

a voluntary confession

>. intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved <

the intentional concealment of vital information

>. deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences <

deliberate acts of sabotage

>. willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another <

willing obedience

>. II. noun (plural -taries) Date: 1598 1. a. a prefatory often extemporized musical piece b. an improvisatory organ piece played before, during, or after a religious service 2. one who participates voluntarily ; volunteer