Voluntary

Voluntary
Voluntary Vol"un*ta*ry, a. [L. voluntarius, fr. voluntas will, choice, from the root of velle to will, p. pr. volens; akin to E. will: cf. F. volontaire, Of. also voluntaire. See {Will}, v. t., and cf. {Benevolent}, {Volition}, {Volunteer}.] 1. Proceeding from the will; produced in or by an act of choice. [1913 Webster]

That sin or guilt pertains exclusively to voluntary action is the true principle of orthodoxy. --N. W. Taylor. [1913 Webster]

2. Unconstrained by the interference of another; unimpelled by the influence of another; not prompted or persuaded by another; done of his or its own accord; spontaneous; acting of one's self, or of itself; free. [1913 Webster]

Our voluntary service he requires. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

She fell to lust a voluntary prey. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

3. Done by design or intention; intentional; purposed; intended; not accidental; as, if a man kills another by lopping a tree, it is not voluntary manslaughter. [1913 Webster]

4. (Physiol.) Of or pertaining to the will; subject to, or regulated by, the will; as, the voluntary motions of an animal, such as the movements of the leg or arm (in distinction from involuntary motions, such as the movements of the heart); the voluntary muscle fibers, which are the agents in voluntary motion. [1913 Webster]

5. Endowed with the power of willing; as, man is a voluntary agent. [1913 Webster]

God did not work as a necessary, but a voluntary, agent, intending beforehand, and decreeing with himself, that which did outwardly proceed from him. --Hooker. [1913 Webster]

6. (Law) Free; without compulsion; according to the will, consent, or agreement, of a party; without consideration; gratuitous; without valuable consideration. [1913 Webster]

7. (Eccl.) Of or pertaining to voluntaryism; as, a voluntary church, in distinction from an established or state church. [1913 Webster]

{Voluntary affidavit} or {Voluntary oath} (Law), an affidavit or oath made in an extrajudicial matter.

{Voluntary conveyance} (Law), a conveyance without valuable consideration.

{Voluntary escape} (Law), the escape of a prisoner by the express consent of the sheriff.

{Voluntary jurisdiction}. (Eng. Eccl. Law) See {Contentious jurisdiction}, under {Contentious}.

{Voluntary waste}. (Law) See {Waste}, n., 4. [1913 Webster]

Syn: See {Spontaneous}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • voluntary — vol·un·tary / vä lən ˌter ē/ adj 1 a: proceeding from one s own free choice or consent rather than as the result of duress, coercion, or deception a voluntary statement b: not compelled by law: done as a matter of choice or agreement voluntary… …   Law dictionary

  • Voluntary — • Wilful, proceeding from the will Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Voluntary     Voluntary     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • voluntary — vol‧un‧ta‧ry [ˈvɒləntri ǁ ˈvɑːlənteri] adjective 1. done or agreed to willingly and without being forced: • He suggested that workers take voluntary pay cuts to help the economy. • Cigar advertising on television is banned under a voluntary… …   Financial and business terms

  • voluntary — voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willful, willing can mean constituting or proceeding from an exercise of free will. Voluntary, the most widely applicable of these terms, often implies not only freedom from constraint but freedom from the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • voluntary — [väl′ən ter΄ē] adj. [ME voluntarie < L voluntarius, voluntary < voluntas, free will < volo, I wish: see VOLITION] 1. brought about by one s own free choice; given or done of one s own free will; freely chosen or undertaken 2. acting in a …   English World dictionary

  • Voluntary — (v. engl. „spontan“) bezeichnet ein Musikstück (meist für die Orgel), welches improvisiert wurde oder eine Komposition von improvisatorischem Charakter. Das Voluntary entstammt dem englischen Barock und ist in der ursprünglichen Funktion mit dem… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Voluntary — may refer to:*A word meaning done, given, or acting of one s own free will , see Volunteer *Voluntary (music), a piece of music played as part of a church service …   Wikipedia

  • voluntary — ● voluntary, voluntaries nom masculin (anglais voluntary) En Angleterre, au XVIe s., court morceau d orgue improvisé avant le culte ou pièce pour clavecin. (L école des virginalistes en a laissé de nombreux exemples. Blow et Purcell l… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Voluntary — Vol un*ta*ry, n.; pl. {Voluntaries}. 1. One who engages in any affair of his own free will; a volunteer. [R.] Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. (Mus.) A piece played by a musician, often extemporarily, according to his fancy; specifically, an organ solo… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • voluntary — late 14c. (implied in voluntarily), from L. voluntarius of one s free will, from voluntas will, from the ancient accusative singular prp. of velle to wish (see WILL (Cf. will) (v.)). Originally of feelings, later also of actions (mid 15c.) …   Etymology dictionary

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