dobrowolne

Dobrowolne is a Polish adjective meaning voluntary or undertaken by free choice rather than by obligation. It describes actions, participation, or states that are decided by an individual without coercion. The term derives from the idea of good will and freedom.

In usage, dobrowolne is attached to nouns to specify that something is done of one's own accord. Examples include phrases such as dzialanie dobrowolne (voluntary action), udzial dobrowolny (voluntary participation), and zgoda dobrowolna (voluntary consent). The corresponding adverb is dobrowolnie, and the related noun form is dobrowolność (voluntariness).

In legal and ethical contexts, the concept emphasizes consent given freely and with awareness, without pressure or coercion. It contrasts with terms like obligatory or mandatory, such as obowiązkowy or przymusowy. In clinical research and medicine, dobrowolny udział w badaniach refers to participants who join experiments of their own accord, while świadoma zgoda (informed consent) is a closely related principle.

Origin and related forms: dobrowolne is the neuter form of the adjective dobrowolny, which in turn comes from dobra wola (good will) and wolny (free). Related words include dobrowolność (voluntariness) and dobrowolnie (voluntarily). The term is broadly used across everyday language, law, medicine, and social contexts to denote acts performed by choice rather than compulsion.

See also: dobrowolność, dobrowolnie, dobrowolny, wolontariusz.