ehrenamtlich
Translation
voluntary, honorary, unpaid
Examples
Ich danke den ehrenamtlichen Helfern.
I thank the volunteer helpers.
Grammar Patterns
ehrenamtlich + Noun voluntary ~ He does ehrenamtliche Arbeit (voluntary work).
Similar Words
Synonyms: freiwillig (voluntary); Antonyms: bezahlt (paid), beruflich (professional)
Etymology
Derived from 'Ehrenamt' (honorary position) with the adjectival suffix '-lich', similar to '-ly' or '-al' in English.
Memory Tips
Connect it to 'Ehre' (honor). The work is done 'honor-like', meaning for the good of it, not for payment.