Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense volunteers, present participle volunteering, past tense, past participle volunteered
1. countable noun
A volunteer is someone who does work without being paid for it, because they want to do it.
She now helps in a local school as a volunteer three days a week.
Mike was a member of the local volunteer fire brigade.
2. countable noun
A volunteer is someone who offers to do a particular task or job without being forced to do it.
Right. What I want now is two volunteers to come down to the front.
Any volunteers?
3. verb
If you volunteerto do something, you offer to do it without being forced to do it.
Aunt Mary volunteered to clean up the kitchen. [VERB to-infinitive]
He volunteered for the army in 1939. [VERB + for]
She volunteered as a nurse in a soldiers' rest-home. [VERB + as]
He's volunteered his services as a chauffeur. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB]
Synonyms: offer, step forward, offer your services, propose More Synonyms of volunteer
4. verb
If you volunteer information, you tell someone something without being asked.
[formal]
The room was quiet; no one volunteered any further information. [VERB noun]
'They were both great supporters of Franco,' Ryle volunteered. [VERB with quote]
The next week, Phillida volunteered that they were getting on better. [VERB that]
5. countable noun
A volunteer is someone who chooses to join the armed forces, especially during a war, as opposed to someone who is forced to join by law.
They fought as volunteers with the rebels.
Victory in the civil war had been achieved by a mainly volunteer army.
More Synonyms of volunteer
volunteer in British English
(ˌvɒlənˈtɪə)
noun
1.
a.
a person who performs or offers to perform voluntary service
b.
(as modifier)
a volunteer system
volunteer advice
2.
a person who freely undertakes military service, esp temporary or special service
3. law
a.
a person who does some act or enters into a transaction without being under any legal obligation to do so and without being promised any remuneration for his or her services
b. property law
a person to whom property is transferred without his or her giving any valuable consideration in return, as a legatee under a will
4.
a.
a plant that grows from seed that has not been deliberately sown
b.
(as modifier)
a volunteer plant
verb
5.
to offer (oneself or one's services) for an undertaking by choice and without request or obligation
6. (transitive)
to perform, give, or communicate voluntarily
to volunteer help
to volunteer a speech
7. (intransitive)
to enlist voluntarily for military service
Word origin
C17: from French volontaire, from Latin voluntārius willing; see voluntary
volunteer in American English
(ˌvɑlənˈtɪr)
noun
1.
a person who chooses freely to do or offer to do something
2.
a person who chooses freely to enter naval or military service, without being compelled to do so by law
see also conscript, draftee
3. Botany
a volunteer plant
4. Law
a.
a person who chooses freely to enter into any transaction with no promise of compensation
b.
a person to whom property is transferred without valuable consideration
adjective
5.
composed of volunteers, as an army
6.
serving as a volunteer, usually without compensation
7.
of a volunteer or volunteers
8. Botany
growing from seed that has fallen naturally to the ground, not planted by a person
verb transitive
9.
to freely choose to offer or give without being asked or obliged
verb intransitive
10.
to freely choose to enter or offer to enter into any service; enlist
Parents should also volunteer this information on the initial invite.
The Sun (2017)
His new confidence galvanised him into volunteering for active service.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Because we volunteer all this information.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The troops had volunteered to give evidence about what help is offered by the ministry to soldiers and veterans under Ihat investigation.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He volunteered his services to a refugee charity in western Germany offering classes for migrants seeking to understand how to establish relationships with Germans.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
We offer leadership and volunteering opportunities and have more than 100 clubs that will make your CV stand out.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He has offered to volunteer for local charities but as soon as he gives his address as a homeless hostel'they don't want anything to do with you.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You have no moral obligation to volunteer the information.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In a few weeks a company of volunteers will plant thousands of reeds.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And tens of thousands more are volunteering their services for free.
The Sun (2010)
We asked three reluctant volunteers to give up their gadgets for a day.
The Sun (2011)
Many were also volunteering for his campaign.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She stayed and volunteered as a fire warden.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
And who would volunteer to clean up afterwards?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He also acts as a volunteer in helping me with my office work and administration.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Many of those who come as volunteers return as friends.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Now the volunteers were receiving conflicting information.
Dylan Evans PLACEBO: The Belief Effect (2003)
They include stockpiling fire engines in secure areas and recruiting local volunteer crews.
The Sun (2013)
We have been used to maintain the myth that there is independent advice for volunteers.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Volunteer information about your real or imagined deficiencies.
Fletcher, Clive How to Face Interviews (1981)
Animal welfare organisations said that many of the tests are unnecessary or could be performed on human volunteers.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There were fewer problems than expected at airports and ports owing to hundreds of extra civil service volunteers.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This tiny force was bolstered by 200,000 hastily enlisted volunteers.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)
Today their army of 200 volunteers has chalked up some serious successes.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
volunteer
British English: volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/ NOUN
A volunteer is someone who does work without being paid for it, especially for an organization such as a charity.
She now helps in a local school as a volunteer.
American English: volunteer
Arabic: مُتَطَوِّع
Brazilian Portuguese: voluntário
Chinese: 志愿者
Croatian: volonter
Czech: dobrovolník
Danish: frivillig
Dutch: vrijwilliger
European Spanish: voluntario
Finnish: vapaaehtoinen
French: bénévole
German: Freiwilliger
Greek: εθελοντής
Italian: volontario
Japanese: 志願者
Korean: 자원 봉사자
Norwegian: frivillig
Polish: ochotnik
European Portuguese: voluntário
Romanian: voluntar
Russian: доброволец
Latin American Spanish: voluntario
Swedish: frivillig
Thai: อาสาสมัคร
Turkish: gönüllü olmak
Ukrainian: волонтер
Vietnamese: tình nguyện viên
British English: volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/ VERB
If you volunteer to do something, you offer to do it without being forced to do it.
Mary volunteered to clean up the kitchen.
He volunteered for overseas service.
American English: volunteer
Arabic: يَتَطَوَّعُ
Brazilian Portuguese: voluntariar-se
Chinese: 自愿
Croatian: volontirati
Czech: nabídnout poskytnout pomoc
Danish: melde sig frivilligt
Dutch: zich vrijwillig aanmelden
European Spanish: ofrecerse voluntariamente
Finnish: ilmoittautua vapaaehtoiseksi
French: se porter volontaire
German: freiwillig tun
Greek: προσφέρομαι εθελόντικά
Italian: offrirsi volontario
Japanese: 自発的に申し出る
Korean: 자원하다
Norwegian: påta seg frivillig
Polish: zgłosić się na ochotnika
European Portuguese: voluntariar-se
Romanian: a se oferi voluntar
Russian: вызываться добровольцем
Latin American Spanish: ofrecerse voluntariamente
Swedish: frivilligt anmäla sig
Thai: เสนอตัวโดยสมัครใจ
Turkish: gönüllü
Ukrainian: працювати волонтером
Vietnamese: tình nguyện
All related terms of 'volunteer'
adult volunteer
A volunteer is someone who does work without being paid for it, because they want to do it.
volunteer army
a military force composed entirely of enlistees
volunteer force
a group of unpaid workers
Volunteer State
→ the Volunteer State
healthy volunteer
A volunteer is someone who offers to do a particular task or job without being forced to do it.
unpaid volunteer
A volunteer is someone who does work without being paid for it, because they want to do it.
volunteer bureau
an agency that matches up people wishing to do voluntary work with appropriate voluntary organizations
willing volunteer
A volunteer is someone who offers to do a particular task or job without being forced to do it.
recruit a volunteer
A volunteer is someone who offers to do a particular task or job without being forced to do it.
the Volunteer State
a nickname for the state of Tennessee
Student Volunteer Army
a students' voluntary organization that aims to undertake useful work in communities, founded in 2010 to help clear up after a damaging earthquake in Christchurch
Ulster Volunteer Force
(in Northern Ireland) a Loyalist paramilitary organization
Territorial and Volunteer Reserve
(in Britain) a standing reserve army originally organized between 1907 and 1908