voluntarism

noun

vol·​un·​ta·​rism ˈvä-lən-tə-ˌri-zəm How to pronounce voluntarism (audio)
1
: the principle or system of doing something by or relying on voluntary action or volunteers
2
: a theory that conceives will to be the dominant factor in experience or in the world
voluntarist noun
voluntaristic adjective

Examples of voluntarism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Flittner also serves as an Indiana Wish board member and as the president of the Junior League of Indianapolis, an organization of women that aims to help a community through voluntarism and supporting women. Madison Smalstig, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Oct. 2022 Pichai considers such voluntarism good team-building, especially for a more hybrid workforce. Randall Lane, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022 Yet the third month of war finds Russia, not the United States, struggling under an unprecedented hacking wave that entwines government activity, political voluntarism and criminal action. Washington Post, 1 May 2022 To be considered, applicants need to volunteer outside of school and place emphasis on encouraging voluntarism as well as assisting others in reaching their potential. Natalya Jones, sun-sentinel.com, 17 Mar. 2022 Marking a shift away from the voluntarism that the administration has depended on until this point, the President is following the science by adopting the forceful model now being put into place for city employees in New York and Los Angeles. Julian Zelizer, CNN, 29 July 2021 The bill was an effort to restore voluntarism to American labor relations, and to give workers back a core freedom of association: the right to refrain from union membership. Michael Watson, National Review, 19 Oct. 2020 The organization of women promotes voluntarism and improving the community through effective action and leadership. Marc Bona, cleveland, 6 Jan. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'voluntarism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of voluntarism was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near voluntarism

Cite this Entry

“Voluntarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voluntarism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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