6  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Voluntary  \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}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Oath  \Oath\  ([=o]th),  n.;  pl  {Oaths}  ([=o][th]z).  [OE.  othe, 
  oth,  ath,  AS  [=a][eth];  akin  to  D.  eed,  OS  [=e][eth],  G. 
  eid,  Icel.  ei[eth]r,  Sw  ed  Dan.  eed,  Goth.  ai[thorn]s;  cf 
  OIr.  oeth.] 
  1.  A  solemn  affirmation  or  declaration,  made  with  a  reverent 
  appeal  to  God  for  the  truth  of  what  is  affirmed.  ``I  have 
  an  oath  in  heaven''  --Shak. 
 
  An  oath  of  secrecy  for  the  concealing  of  those 
  [inventions]  which  we  think  fit  to  keep  secret. 
  --Bacon. 
 
  2.  A  solemn  affirmation,  connected  with  a  sacred  object,  or 
  one  regarded  as  sacred,  as  the  temple,  the  altar,  the 
  blood  of  Abel,  the  Bible,  the  Koran,  etc 
 
  3.  (Law)  An  appeal  (in  verification  of  a  statement  made)  to  a 
  superior  sanction,  in  such  a  form  as  exposes  the  party 
  making  the  appeal  to  an  indictment  for  perjury  if  the 
  statement  be  false. 
 
  4.  A  careless  and  blasphemous  use  of  the  name  of  the  divine 
  Being  or  anything  divine  or  sacred,  by  way  of  appeal  or 
  as  a  profane  exclamation  or  ejaculation;  an  expression  of 
  profane  swearing.  ``A  terrible  oath''  --Shak. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  oath 
  n  1:  profane  or  obscene  expression  usually  of  surprise  or  anger 
  [syn:  {curse},  {curse  word},  {expletive},  {swearing},  {swearword}, 
  {cuss}] 
  2:  swearing  to  the  truth  of  a  statement;  to  lie  under  oath  is 
  to  become  subject  to  prosecution  for  perjury  [syn:  {vow}, 
  {swearing}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  OATH 
 
  Object-oriented  Abstract  Type  Hierarchy,  a  class  library  for 
  C++  from  {Texas  Instruments}. 
 
 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Oath 
  a  solemn  appeal  to  God,  permitted  on  fitting  occasions  (Deut. 
  6:13;  Jer.  4:2),  in  various  forms  (Gen.  16:5;  2  Sam.  12:5;  Ruth 
  1:17;  Hos.  4:15;  Rom.  1:9),  and  taken  in  different  ways  (Gen. 
  14:22;  24:2;  2  Chr.  6:22).  God  is  represented  as  taking  an  oath 
  (Heb.  6:16-18),  so  also  Christ  (Matt.  26:64),  and  Paul  (Rom. 
  9:1;  Gal.  1:20;  Phil.  1:8).  The  precept,  "Swear  not  at  all," 
  refers  probably  to  ordinary  conversation  between  man  and  man 
  (Matt.  5:34,37).  But  if  the  words  are  taken  as  referring  to 
  oaths,  then  their  intention  may  have  been  to  show  "that  the 
  proper  state  of  Christians  is  to  require  no  oaths;  that  when 
  evil  is  expelled  from  among  them  every  yea  and  nay  will  be  as 
  decisive  as  an  oath,  every  promise  as  binding  as  a  vow." 
 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  OATH,  n.  In  law,  a  solemn  appeal  to  the  Deity,  made  binding  upon  the 
  conscience  by  a  penalty  for  perjury. 
 
 

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