The difference between Autonomous and Voluntary

When used as adjectives, autonomous means self-governing. intelligent, sentient, self-aware, thinking, feeling, governing independently, whereas voluntary means done, given, or acting of one's own free will.


Voluntary is also noun with the meaning: a short piece of music, often having improvisation, played on a solo instrument.

Voluntary is also adverb with the meaning: voluntarily.

check bellow for the other definitions of Autonomous and Voluntary

  1. Autonomous as an adjective:

    Self-governing. Intelligent, sentient, self-aware, thinking, feeling, governing independently.

  2. Autonomous as an adjective:

    Acting on one's own or independently; of a child, acting without being governed by parental or guardian rules.

  3. Autonomous as an adjective (Celtic linguistics, of a verb form):

    Used with no subject, indicating an unknown or unspecified agent; used in similar situations as the passive in English (the difference being that the theme in the English passive construction is the subject, while in the Celtic autonomous construction the theme is the object and there is no subject).

  1. Voluntary as an adjective:

    Done, given, or acting of one's own free will.

  2. Voluntary as an adjective:

    Done by design or intention; intentional.

    Examples:

    "If a man accidentally kills another by lopping a tree, it is not voluntary manslaughter."

  3. Voluntary as an adjective:

    Working or done without payment.

  4. Voluntary as an adjective:

    Endowed with the power of willing.

  5. Voluntary as an adjective:

    Of or relating to voluntarism.

    Examples:

    "a voluntary church, in distinction from an established or state church"

  1. Voluntary as an adverb (obsolete):

    Voluntarily.

  1. Voluntary as a noun (music):

    A short piece of music, often having improvisation, played on a solo instrument.

  2. Voluntary as a noun:

    A volunteer.

  3. Voluntary as a noun:

    A supporter of voluntarism; a voluntarist.