vol·un·teer
ˌvä-lən-ˈtir 
1
: a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service: such as
a
: one who enters into military service voluntarily
b(1)
: one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest
(2)
: one who receives a conveyance or transfer of property without giving valuable consideration
2
: a volunteer plant
3
capitalized
[Volunteers of America]
: a member of a quasi-military religious and philanthropic organization founded in 1896 by Commander and Mrs. Ballington Booth
volunteered; volunteering; volunteers
: to offer oneself as a volunteer
volunteered to host the meeting
: to offer or bestow voluntarily
volunteer one's services
1
: being, consisting of, or engaged in by volunteers
a volunteer army
busy with volunteer activities
2
: growing spontaneously without direct human control or supervision especially from seeds lost from a previous crop
volunteer corn plants
Synonyms
Examples of volunteer in a Sentence
Noun
Volunteers are needed to help with the bake sale.
The school was built by volunteers.
Verb
Our son volunteered for military service.
He would not volunteer any information about her whereabouts.
Adjective
volunteer work at the hospital
Recent Examples on the Web
Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
David Stempel is a long-time Oakland resident, an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer and a former American Cancer Society director of marketing communications.
—David Stempel, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
So far, turnout has been bigger than Houtman's ever seen, and she's been volunteering on and off since the Bush-Gore presidential election of 2000.
—Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023
That’s noteworthy for a show based at a high-school auditorium in Litchfield and run by a staff that is almost entirely volunteer, including the show’s star and its producer.
—Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for volunteer 
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Noun
A number of volunteers with Ligue des Droits de l'Homme, or the Human Rights League, a French organization that aims to observe and defend human rights, were stationed outside the stadium to observe police forces’ handling of the event.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
David Stempel is a long-time Oakland resident, an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer and a former American Cancer Society director of marketing communications.
—David Stempel, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
Although Gardner has always actively volunteered through church activities, social media videos compelled her to start her advocacy work to help the homeless.
—Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
So far, turnout has been bigger than Houtman's ever seen, and she's been volunteering on and off since the Bush-Gore presidential election of 2000.
—Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Within the past couple of years, the group has become a part of Arrowhead Kingdom, an all-volunteer national network of Chiefs fan groups.
—Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2023
That’s noteworthy for a show based at a high-school auditorium in Litchfield and run by a staff that is almost entirely volunteer, including the show’s star and its producer.
—Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for volunteer
Articles Related to volunteer
Dictionary Entries Near volunteer
Cite this Entry
“Volunteer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volunteer. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
volunteer
1 of 3 noun
vol·un·teer
ˌväl-ən-ˈti(ə)r
: a person who volunteers for a service
volunteer
2 of 3 adjective
: being, consisting of, or engaged in by volunteers
a volunteer fire department
volunteer activities
volunteer
3 of 3 verb1
: to offer voluntarily
volunteered my services
2
: to offer oneself as a volunteer
volunteered to do the job
Legal Definition
volunteer
noun
vol·un·teer
ˌvä-lən-ˈtir
1
: one that voluntarily undertakes something
especially
: one who without request, obligation, or an interest pays the debt of another and is denied reimbursement from subrogation
2
: one who receives property without giving valuable consideration
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