\Vol"un*ta*ry\, a. [L. voluntarius, fr. voluntas will,
choice, from the root of velle to will, p. pr. volens; akin
to E. will: cf. F. volontaire, Of. also voluntaire. See
{Will}, v. t., and cf. {Benevolent}, {Volition},
{Volunteer}.]
1. Proceeding from the will; produced in or by an act of
   choice.
         That sin or guilt pertains exclusively to voluntary
         action is the true principle of orthodoxy. --N. W.
                                               Taylor.
2. Unconstrained by the interference of another; unimpelled
   by the influence of another; not prompted or persuaded by
   another; done of his or its own accord; spontaneous;
   acting of one's self, or of itself; free.
         Our voluntary service he requires.    --Milton.
         She fell to lust a voluntary prey.    --Pope.
3. Done by design or intention; intentional; purposed;
   intended; not accidental; as, if a man kills another by
   lopping a tree, it is not voluntary manslaughter.
4. (Physiol.) Of or pertaining to the will; subject to, or
   regulated by, the will; as, the voluntary motions of an
   animal, such as the movements of the leg or arm (in
   distinction from involuntary motions, such as the
   movements of the heart); the voluntary muscle fibers,
   which are the agents in voluntary motion.
5. Endowed with the power of willing; as, man is a voluntary
   agent.
         God did not work as a necessary, but a voluntary,
         agent, intending beforehand, and decreeing with
         himself, that which did outwardly proceed from him.
                                               --Hooker.
6. (Law) Free; without compulsion; according to the will,
   consent, or agreement, of a party; without consideration;
   gratuitous; without valuable consideration.
7. (Eccl.) Of or pertaining to voluntaryism; as, a voluntary
   church, in distinction from an established or state
   church.
{Voluntary affidavit} or {oath} (Law), an affidavit or oath
   made in extrajudicial matter.
{Voluntary conveyance} (Law), a conveyance without valuable
   consideration.
{Voluntary escape} (Law), the escape of a prisoner by the
   express consent of the sheriff.
{Voluntary jurisdiction}. (Eng. Eccl. Law) See {Contentious
   jurisdiction}, under {Contentious}.
{Voluntary waste}. (Law) See {Waste}, n., 4.
Syn: See {Spontaneous}.

\Vol"un*ta*ry\, n.; pl. {Voluntaries}.
1. One who engages in any affair of his own free will; a
   volunteer. [R.] --Shak.
2. (Mus.) A piece played by a musician, often extemporarily,
   according to his fancy; specifically, an organ solo played
   before, during, or after divine service.
3. (Eccl.) One who advocates voluntaryism.