volunteer (ˌvɒlənˈtɪə
)
Definitions
noun
- a person who performs or offers to perform voluntary service
- ((as modifier) ⇒
a volunteer system
volunteer advice
- a person who freely undertakes military service, esp temporary or special service
- law
- 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 services
- property law a person to whom property is transferred without his giving any valuable consideration in return, as a legatee under a will
- a plant that grows from seed that has not been deliberately sown
- ((as modifier) ⇒
a volunteer plant
verb
- to offer (oneself or one's services) for an undertaking by choice and without request or obligation
- (tr) to perform, give, or communicate voluntarily ⇒
to volunteer help
to volunteer a speech
- (intr) to enlist voluntarily for military service
Word Origin
C17: from French volontaire, from Latin voluntārius willing; see voluntarySynonyms
View thesaurus entryTranslations
- British English:
volunteer
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.ˌvɒlənˈtɪə NOUN She now helps in a local school as a volunteer.
- Spanish:
voluntario
nm voluntaria
- French:
bénévole
nm
- German:
Freiwilliger
nm Freiwillige
- Chinese: 志愿者 n
- Arabic: مُتَطَوِّع n
- Portuguese: voluntário nm voluntária
- Russian: доброволец nm
- Croatian: dobrovoljac nm
- Czech: dobrovolník nm dobrovolnice
- Danish: frivillig nutr
- Dutch: vrijwilliger nm
- Finnish: vapaaehtoinen n
- Greek: εθελοντής n εθελόντρια
- Italian: volontario nm volontaria
- Japanese: 志願者 n
- Korean: 자원 봉사자 n
- Norwegian: frivillig nm
- Polish: ochotnik nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: voluntário nm voluntária
- European Spanish:
voluntario
nm voluntaria
- Swedish: frivillig nutr
- Thai: อาสาสมัคร n
- Turkish: gönüllü olmak n
- Vietnamese: tình nguyện viên n
- British English:
volunteer
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.ˌvɒlənˈtɪə VERB Mary volunteered to clean up the kitchen. He volunteered for overseas service.
- Spanish: ofrecerse voluntariamente v
- French: se porter volontaire vi
- German: freiwillig tun v
- Chinese: 自愿 v
- Arabic: يَتَطَوَّعُ v
- Portuguese: voluntariar-se v
- Russian: вызываться добровольцем v
- Croatian: javiti se dobrovoljno v
- Czech: nabídnout v nabízet
- Danish: melde sig frivilligt v
- Dutch: zich vrijwillig aanmelden v
- Finnish: ilmoittautua vapaaehtoiseksi v
- Greek: προσφέρομαι εθελόντικά v
- Italian: offrirsi volontario v
- Japanese: 自発的に申し出る v
- Korean: 자원하다 v
- Norwegian: påta seg frivillig v
- Polish: zgłosić się na ochotnika v zgłaszać się na ochotnika
- Brazilian Portuguese: voluntariar-se v
- European Spanish: ofrecerse voluntariamente v
- Swedish: frivilligt anmäla sig v
- Thai: เสนอตัวโดยสมัครใจ v
- Turkish: gönüllü v
- Vietnamese: tình nguyện v
Usage examples
He liked to take the drive to Paddington, and would volunteer to take Esther there.
, Come to Mecca (1993)Trials with 70 volunteer drivers indicate an average reduction of 11 per cent.
New Scientist (2004)She facilitates a support group for sufferers of early-onset Alzheimer's, along with other volunteer activities in the community.
Globe and Mail (2003)(Huge numbers of Puerto Ricans already volunteer for the military.
Belfast Telegraph (2004)They feel tired and drained, wishing someone else at church would volunteer for the responsibility.
, Diamonds in the Dust (1993)