What does voluntary mean?
Word: Voluntary
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Voluntary means done because you choose to, not because you are forced or paid.
Synonyms: optional, willing, unpaid, free
Antonyms: forced, required
How do you spell voluntary?
Syllables: vol - un - tar - y
Tricky part: Write all four syllables, even though the third is often swallowed in speech; voluntry is a common slip.
Watch out for: voluntry, volunntary, volentary
Memory tip: A volunteer does voluntary work, and the two words start the same way.
Voluntary in a sentence
Example 1: Helping at the school's clean-up day is voluntary.
Example 2: The school runs a voluntary art club on Saturdays.
Example 3: Ravi made a voluntary donation to the flood relief fund.
Fun Fact
Voting in United States elections is voluntary: citizens aged 18 and over may vote but are not fined for staying away, unlike in Australia, where adults must vote or pay a fine.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
voluntary
a) generous
b) eager
c) helpful
d) compulsory
Show answer
d) compulsory. Compulsory means you have no choice, the reverse of voluntary.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) ocassion
b) voluntary
c) necesary
d) recieve
Show answer
b) voluntary. Necessary has a double s, receive puts e before i, and occasion has a double c.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
nartyulov
a) unitary
b) voluntary
c) voluntarily
d) involuntary
Show answer
b) voluntary. The jumble has nine letters, one y and no i, which leaves only voluntary.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Every Saterday, my sister does voluntary work at the animal shelter near our estate.
a) Saterday
b) shelter
c) sister
d) voluntary
Show answer
a) Saterday. Saturday is named after the planet Saturn, so it starts with satur.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Voluntary comes from the Latin voluntas, meaning ____.
a) will or wish
b) work or labour
c) gift or present
d) help or aid
Show answer
a) will or wish
2. Your body does some things on its own. Which of these is voluntary?
a) your heart beating
b) sneezing at dust
c) raising your hand to answer
d) shivering in the cold
Show answer
c) raising your hand to answer
