involuntary

[in-vol-uhn-ter-ee]

adjective

1. not voluntary; independent of one's will; not by one's own choice.

   an involuntary listener; involuntary servitude.

2. unintentional; unconscious.

   an involuntary gesture.

   Synonyms: instinctive
   Antonyms: intentional

3. Physiology.,  acting independently of or done or occurring without volition.

   involuntary muscles.

   Synonyms: uncontrolled, reflex

involuntary

/ -trɪ, ɪnˈvɒləntərɪ /

adjective

1. carried out without one's conscious wishes; not voluntary; unintentional

2. physiol (esp of a movement or muscle) performed or acting without conscious control

involuntary

1. Not under conscious control. Most of the biological processes in animals that are vital to life, such as contraction of the heart, blood flow, breathing, and digestion, are involuntary and controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

Other Word Forms

• involuntarily adverb
• involuntariness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of involuntary¹

From the Late Latin word involuntārius, dating back to 1525–35. See in- ³, voluntary

Synonym Study

See automatic.

Example Sentences

That’s different from involuntary attention, which is when our attention is automatically captured by interesting stimulation in the environment.

From Los Angeles Times

Gold said he was holding out for a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter, but “everybody wanted the case resolved as quickly as possible.”

From Los Angeles Times

With the involuntary sacrifice of that city and its inhabitants, humanity was offered a profound lesson.

From Salon

“It’s very clear that most people who have developed CTE have not become murderers, and most people have not had extraordinary psychiatric symptoms that involve them to have involuntary psychiatric holds,” Nowinski said.

From Los Angeles Times

The lawsuit came six months after a judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charge that Baldwin had been facing.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• compulsory 
• forced 
• spontaneous 
• uncontrolled 
• unintentional