Volunteer

//ˌvɒl(ə)nˈtɪə// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    without payment wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay.

    "The volunteers at the nature reserve meet up ever other Sunday to help its upkeep."

  2. 2
    a native or resident of Tennessee wordnet
  3. 3
    One who enters into military service voluntarily (but who, when in service, is subject to discipline and regulations like other soldiers), as opposed to a conscript.
  4. 4
    a person who performs voluntary work wordnet
  5. 5
    A voluntary member of the organized militia of a country, as distinguished from a regular or member of the standing army.

    "That summer and fall the Army organized twenty-five regiments of volunteers, including two black regiments, which would have all-black captains and lieutenants. All officers were to be selected from regulars and volunteers who had distinguished themselves[…]"

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    (military) a person who freely enlists for service wordnet
  2. 7
    A person who acts out of their own will without a legal obligation, such as a donor.
  3. 8
    A plant that grows spontaneously, without being cultivated on purpose; see volunteer plant in Wikipedia.
  4. 9
    A native or resident of the American state of Tennessee.
Verb
  1. 1
    To enlist oneself as a volunteer. intransitive
  2. 2
    tell voluntarily wordnet
  3. 3
    To do or offer to do something voluntarily. ambitransitive

    "to volunteer for doing the dishes"

  4. 4
    do volunteer work wordnet
  5. 5
    To offer, usually unprompted. transitive

    "to volunteer an explanation"

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    agree freely wordnet
  2. 7
    To offer the services of (someone else) to do something. informal, transitive

    "My sister volunteered me to do the dishes."

  3. 8
    To grow without human sowing or intentional cultivation. intransitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle French voluntaire, from Latin voluntārius (“willing, voluntary”); or from voluntary + -eer.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle French voluntaire, from Latin voluntārius (“willing, voluntary”); or from voluntary + -eer.

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