volunteer
Definitions
General English
- noun a person who offers to do something without being paid or being forced to do it
Agriculture
- noun a plant that has grown by natural propagation, as opposed to having been planted
Information & Library Science
- noun somebody who works without being paid
Law
- noun somebody who gives or receives property without consideration
- noun somebody who offers to do something without being forced
- verb to offer information without being asked
Military
- noun a person who offers to do a task
- noun a person who joins the armed forces because they wish to, rather than because they are conscripted
- verb to offer to carry out a task (usually one which is dangerous or unpleasant)
Origin & History of “volunteer”
Volunteer comes via French volontaire from Latin voluntārius, a noun use of the adjective which gave English voluntary (14th c.). this was derived from the noun voluntās ‘will, free will’, which itself was based on volō ‘I will’ (source also of English volition).
