voluntarily

adverb

Definition of voluntarilynext
as in willingly
of one's own free will you took part in this voluntarily, so you have no cause to complain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of voluntarily At least six were deported, one left the country voluntarily and eight remained in federal custody at the time of the report. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Paramount voluntarily — on their own, without California forcing them to — decided to enter an agreement with Warner Bros for this ticking fee. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 Researchers compared people forced into treatment under Kendra’s Law with individuals who voluntarily received services. — Sakeena Trice, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026 Up to 405,000 left voluntarily, pushed by a volatile political climate and a cost of living that is squeezing even high-earners on six-figure salaries. — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026 The arguments for allowing appropriate defendants to surrender voluntarily extend to defendants, their families and the federal agencies responsible for moving them into custody. — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Last Friday, Fauci declined a request to appear voluntarily before a second Senate panel after majority Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee voted along partisan lines to hold him in contempt of Congress. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 The light had no impact on the flights, Qantas said, and the incident was voluntarily reported to investigators. — Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 Just when this summer couldn’t get more apocalyptic, a packaging defect has led Schwarzkopf’s parent company, Henkel, to voluntarily recall its Osis Grip Extra Strong Mousse. — James Manso, Allure, 17 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voluntarily
  1. willingly
  2. freely
Adverb
  • What happened to the colonists remains unknown, but archaeological finds—including otherwise anachronistic English artifacts on Hatteras Island—give some support to White’s theory that at least some of the colonists relocated willingly.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • By suggesting that Black women would willingly place their own children in mortal danger for profit, such narratives provided yet another means of humiliating, degrading and dehumanizing African Americans.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of willingly
Adverb
  • Hopes for an imminent US-Iran deal to end the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz added to optimism that oil and gas, along with other key products, would again start flowing freely after more than five months of war.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Keeping your registers from getting choked with dust also allows air to flow freely into your home.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of freely

Browse Nearby Words

voluminousness
voluntarily
voluntary
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Voluntarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluntarily. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on voluntarily

Nglish: Translation of voluntarily for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All