Volunteer

/ˌvɒl(ə)nˈtɪə/ · noun

Meaning

One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay..

Definitions by Sense

1. One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay.
2. (military) 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.
3. (military) A voluntary member of the organized militia of a country, as distinguished from a regular or member of the standing army.
4. (law) A person who acts out of their own will without a legal obligation, such as a donor.
5. (botany, agriculture) A plant that grows spontaneously, without being cultivated on purpose; see volunteer plant in Wikipedia.
6. A native or resident of the American state of Tennessee.
7. (intransitive) To enlist oneself as a volunteer.
8. (ambitransitive) To do or offer to do something voluntarily.

Example Sentences

The volunteers at the nature reserve meet up ever other Sunday to help its upkeep.

The largest age group for volunteers was 35-44, the CNCS survey said, and volunteers were most likely to be parents with children under 18. The typical volunteer may live in Utah, which ranked first in the percentage of people who said they volunteered among all 50 states and Washington, DC.

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[…]

to volunteer for doing the dishes

Miranda: No good. Both routes are blocked. See these doors? The only way past is to get someone to open them from the other side. Shepard: It's not a fortress; there's got to be something. Here, maybe we can send someone in through this ventilation shaft. Jacob: Practically a suicide mission. I volunteer. Miranda: I appreciate the thought, Jacob, but you couldn't shut down the security systems in time. We need to send a tech expert.

The typical volunteer may live in Utah, which ranked first in the percentage of people who said they volunteered among all 50 states and Washington, DC. […] The median amount of time per year spent volunteering was 52 hours.

to volunteer an explanation

My sister volunteered me to do the dishes.

Synonyms for volunteer

Antonyms for volunteer

Related Words

Word Forms

• volunteers
• volunteering
• volunteered

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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