What does volunteer mean?
A volunteer is someone who offers time, skills, or services without being paid, usually to help an individual, organization, or community. The word is also used as a verb: to volunteer means to offer oneself for a task or role, or to provide information or assistance without being asked. In the form “volunteer work,” it describes unpaid service, while “volunteer firefighter” or “volunteer driver” identifies a person performing that role without regular pay. The word often carries a positive connotation of initiative, generosity, and community participation, although it can also refer historically to people who joined an army irregularly rather than through a formal draft. Volunteer is especially common in charitable work, emergency services, political campaigns, cultural organizations, and community projects. Its central contrast is with compulsory or conscripted participation: volunteering implies that the person has freely chosen to help.
A person who offers their time, skills, or services without being paid, especially to help a person, organization, or community.
"The volunteers collected donations for the local food bank."
The word can also denote a person who joins an army or other force irregularly rather than through a formal draft.
To offer oneself for a service, task, or role without being asked or paid; also, to provide information or assistance without being requested.
"Several residents volunteered to staff the registration desk."
It often takes the infinitive marker “to,” as in “volunteer to help,” and may imply an unsolicited offer of information or an opinion.
Relating to or consisting of people who offer their services without regular pay.
"The charity relies on volunteer work during the busy season."
This use is typically attributive, as in “volunteer driver,” “volunteer work,” and “volunteer organization.”
The standard plural of the noun is volunteers.
"A team of volunteers planted trees throughout the park."
From the Latin voluntas, meaning “will” or “willingness,” volunteer carries the idea that service begins with a freely chosen promise.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does volunteer come from?
English borrowed volunteer in the early 17th century from French volontaire, a noun and adjective derived from Latin voluntarius, meaning “willing” or “of free will.” The Latin root voluntas means “will,” “willingness,” or “purpose,” and also underlies related English words such as voluntary, voluntarism, and volition. Volunteer originally referred to a person who served in an army without being formally conscripted, before broadening to the modern sense of one who offers unpaid assistance.
Related word forms
How volunteer is actually used
As a verb, volunteer is commonly followed by an infinitive, as in “volunteer to help,” and can also mean to provide information or an opinion unsolicited. In the adjective sense, it is usually attributive, especially in phrases such as “volunteer work” and “volunteer firefighter.”
Easily confused with volunteer
A volunteer is a person who offers unpaid help, whereas voluntary describes an activity or choice made freely rather than by compulsion.