Voluntariness

vol·un·tar·y  (vln-tr)

adj.

1. Done or undertaken of one's own free will: a voluntary decision to leave the job.

2. Acting or done willingly and without constraint or expectation of reward: a voluntary hostage; voluntary community work.

3. Normally controlled by or subject to individual volition: voluntary muscle contractions.

4. Capable of making choices; having the faculty of will.

5. Supported by contributions or charitable donations rather than by government appropriations: voluntary hospitals.

6. Law

a. Without legal obligation or consideration: a voluntary conveyance of property.

b. Done deliberately; intentional: voluntary manslaughter.

n. pl. vol·un·tar·ies

1. Music

a. A short piece of music, often improvised on a solo instrument, played as an introduction to a larger work.

b. A piece for solo organ, often improvised, played before, during, or after a religious service.

2. A volunteer.

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[Middle English, from Latin voluntrius, from volunts, choice, from velle, vol-, to wish; see wel-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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volun·tari·ly (-târ-l) adv.

volun·tari·ness n.

Synonyms: voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willful, willing
These adjectives mean being or resulting from one's own free will. Voluntary implies the operation of unforced choice: "Ignorance, when it is voluntary, is criminal" (Samuel Johnson).
Intentional applies to something undertaken to further a plan or realize an aim: "I will abstain from all intentional wrongdoing and harm" (Hippocratic Oath).
Deliberate stresses premeditation and full awareness of the character and consequences of one's acts: taking deliberate and decisive action.
Willful implies deliberate, headstrong persistence in a self-determined course of action: a willful waste of time.
Willing suggests ready or cheerful acquiescence in the proposals or requirements of another: "The first requisite of a good citizen ... is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight" (Theodore Roosevelt).