volunteer
English · Thesaurus
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volunteer
- /ˌvɒl(ə)nˈtɪə/ UK
- /ˌvɑlənˈtɪ(ə)ɹ/ Atlantic Canada, US
- /ˌvɒlənˈtɪɹ/ Canada, dialectal
- /ˌvɔlənˈtɪə/ Australia
Rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Middle French voluntaire, from Latin voluntārius (“willing, voluntary”); or from voluntary + -eer.
noun volunteers
- One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay. The volunteers at the nature reserve meet up ever other Sunday to help its upkeep.
- One who enters into military service voluntarily (but who, when in service, is subject to discipline and regulations like other soldiers), as opposed to a conscript.
- A voluntary member of the organized militia of a country, as distinguished from a regular or member of the standing army. That summer and fall the Army organized twenty-five regiments of volunteers, including two black regiments, which would have all-black captains and lieutenants. All officers were to be selected from regulars and volunteers who had distinguished themselves[…]
- A person who acts out of their own will without a legal obligation, such as a donor.
- A plant that grows spontaneously, without being cultivated on purpose; see volunteer plant in Wikipedia.
- A native or resident of the American state of Tennessee.
verb volunteers · volunteering · volunteered
- To enlist oneself as a volunteer.
- To do or offer to do something voluntarily. to volunteer for doing the dishes
- To offer, usually unprompted. to volunteer an explanation
- To offer the services of (someone else) to do something. My sister volunteered me to do the dishes.
- To grow without human sowing or intentional cultivation.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: offer, voluntary, unpaid, military volunteer, unpaid worker, voluntarism, donate, donated, volunteerism, obligation, not-for-profit, enlist, charitable, willing, elective, intentional
Translations
Every language
noun one who voluntarily offers themselves for service
| Español | voluntario |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 지원자 jiwonja, 볼런티어 bolleontieo |
| 日本語 | 有志 yūshi, ボランティア borantia |
| 中文 | 志願者 /志愿者 zhìyuànzhě |
| हिन्दी | स्वयंसेवक svayansevak, वालंटियर vālaṇṭiyar |
| Português | voluntário |
| Français | volontaire, bénévole |
| Deutsch | Freiwilliger, Freiwillige, Ehrenamtlicher, Ehrenamtliche |
| Italiano | volontario, volontaria |
| Ελληνικά | εθελοντής ethelontís |
| Română | voluntar, voluntară |
| Русский | доброво́лец dobrovólec, доброво́лица dobrovólica, волонтёр volontjór, волонтёрка volontjórka |
| Tiếng Việt | quân tình nguyện, tình nguyện viên, người tình nguyện, thiện nguyện viên, người thiện nguyện |
| العربية | مُتَطَوِّع mutaṭawwiʕ, مُتَطَوِّعَة mutaṭawwiʕa |
| עברית | מתנדב mitnadev, מתנדבת mitnadevet |
noun voluntary soldier
| 한국어 | 지원병 jiwonbyeong, 지원군 jiwon'gun, 의용병 uiyongbyeong |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 志願兵 shiganhei, 義勇兵 giyūhei |
| 中文 | 志願兵 /志愿兵 zhìyuànbīng |
| Português | voluntário |
| Français | volontaire |
| Deutsch | Freiwilliger, Freiwillige |
| Română | voluntar |
| Русский | доброво́лец dobrovólec, доброво́лица dobrovólica, волонтёр volontjór, волонтёрка volontjórka |
| العربية | مُتَطَوِّع mutaṭawwiʕ, مُتَطَوِّعَة mutaṭawwiʕa |
| עברית | מתנדב mitnadev, מתנדבת mitnadevet |
noun one who acts without legal obligation
| 日本語 | 志願者 shigansha, 篤志家 tokushika |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 志願者 /志愿者 zhìyuànzhě |
| Português | voluntário |
| Русский | доброво́лец dobrovólec |
| العربية | مُتَطَوِّع mutaṭawwiʕ |
noun volunteer plant
| 日本語 | 自生植物 jisei shokubutsu |
|---|
verb to enlist oneself as a volunteer
| Español | voluntariarse, avoluntariarse, envoluntariarse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 志願する shigan-suru |
| 中文 | 自願 /自愿 zìyuàn |
| Français | se porter volontaire |
| Deutsch | sich freiwillig melden |
| Italiano | offrirsi, offrirsi volontario |
| Tiếng Việt | đi tình nguyện, đi thiện nguyện |
| עברית | התנדב hitnadev, התנדבה hitnadva |
verb to do or offer to do something voluntarily
| Español | comedirse, ofrecerse, prestarse, acomedirse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 志願する shigan-suru |
| 中文 | 自告奮勇 /自告奋勇 zìgàofènyǒng |
| Français | être bénévole, être volontaire |
| Deutsch | anbieten, sich anbieten |
| Tiếng Việt | tình nguyện |
| עברית | התנדב hitnadev, התנדבה hitnadva |
verb to offer the services of (someone else) to do something
| Español | voluntariar, avoluntariar, envoluntariar |
|---|
verb botany: to grow without cultivation
| 日本語 | 自生する jisei suru |
|---|
Talk about this word "volunteer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/volunteer. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. volunteer. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/volunteer "volunteer." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/volunteer.Cite this
@misc{volunteer_2026,
title = {volunteer},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/volunteer},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
