volunteer
Meaning
a person who does a job or offers to do something without being forced or paid to do it
a person who joins the armed forces without being forced to do so
to offer to do something without being forced to do it and without expecting payment
to tell someone something without being asked
Structure
Usage
she works as a volunteer at the local animal shelter three days a week.
he volunteered to organize the company's annual charity run.
the regiment was made up entirely of volunteers.
Etymology
The word 'volunteer' entered English in the late 16th century from French 'volontaire', which itself derives from Latin 'voluntarius', meaning 'of one's free will'. The Latin root is 'voluntas', signifying 'will' or 'choice', ultimately from the verb 'velle' (to wish, to will), a core concept of free intention. The suffix '-eer', adopted via French, specifies a person associated with an action. Thus, the literal construction 'one who acts by free will' perfectly captures the modern sense of offering services or enlisting without compulsion, maintaining a direct semantic link from its ancient roots to its contemporary use.
Analysis
volunt: from latin 'voluntas' meaning 'will, free will, choice'. eer: a noun-forming suffix of french origin (from '-ier'), indicating a person concerned with or engaged in a particular activity.