Synonyms for involuntary
ɪnˈvɒl ənˌtɛr iin·vol·un·ta·ry

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. involuntaryadjective

   Synonyms:
   unvoluntary

2. involuntaryadjective

   Without intention; unintentional.

   He involuntarily overheard the conversation.

   Synonyms:
   unvoluntary

3. involuntaryadjective

   Not voluntary or willing; contrary or opposed to explicit will or desire; unwilling.

   He found himself the involuntary witness in the trial.

   Synonyms:
   unvoluntary

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. involuntary

   That is spontaneous which is freely done, with no external compulsion and, in human actions, without special premeditation or distinct determination of the will; that is voluntary which is freely done with distinct act of will; that is involuntary which is independent of the will, and perhaps in opposition to it; a willing act is not only in accordance with will, but with desire. Thus voluntary and involuntary, which are antonyms of each other, are both partial synonyms of spontaneous. We speak of spontaneous generation, spontaneous combustion, spontaneous sympathy, an involuntary start, an unbidden tear, voluntary agreement, willing submission. A babe's smile in answer to that of its mother is spontaneous; the smile of a pouting child wheedled into good humor is involuntary. In physiology the action of the heart and lungs is called involuntary; the growth of the hair and nails is spontaneous; the action of swallowing is voluntary up to a certain point, beyond which it becomes involuntary or automatic. In the fullest sense of that which is not only without the will but distinctly in opposition to it, or compulsory, involuntary becomes an antonym, not only of voluntary but of spontaneous; as, involuntary servitude. A spontaneous outburst of applause is of necessity an act of volition, but so completely dependent on sympathetic impulse that it would seem frigid to call it voluntary, while to call it involuntary would imply some previous purpose or inclination not to applaud.

   Synonyms:
   automatic, free, impulsive, instinctive, spontaneous, unbidden, voluntary, willing

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. involuntary, nonvoluntary, unvoluntaryadjective

   not subject to the control of the will

   "involuntary manslaughter"; "involuntary servitude"; "an involuntary shudder"; "It (becoming a hero) was involuntary. They sank my boat"- John F.Kennedy

   Synonyms:
   nonvoluntary, unvoluntary

   Antonyms:
   unpaid, uncoerced, self-imposed, willful, wilful, willing, voluntary, volunteer(a), unforced, freewill

2. involuntaryadjective

   controlled by the autonomic nervous system; without conscious control

   "involuntary muscles"; "gave an involuntary start"

   Synonyms:
   nonvoluntary, unvoluntary

   Antonyms:
   unforced, freewill, volunteer(a), voluntary, uncoerced, wilful, willful, willing, unpaid, self-imposed

Matched Categories

1. • Physiology

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. involuntaryadjective

   Synonyms:
   instinctive, automatic, blind, independent of the will

2. involuntaryadjective

   Synonyms:
   unwilling, reluctant, compulsory, against one's will

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. involuntaryadjective

   Synonyms:
   uncontrollable, instinctive, automatic, compulsory, forced

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "involuntary":

   unintentional, unintended, inadvertent, non-voluntary, unwitting, forced, unsolicited, accidental, enforced, dilation

How to pronounce involuntary?

How to say involuntary in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use involuntary in a sentence?

1. Franklin Pierce:

   ...involuntary servitude, as it exists in different states of this confederacy, is recognized by the Constitution.

2. Northrop Frye:

   It is clear that all verbal structures with meaning are verbal imitations of that elusive psychological and physiological process known as thought, a process stumbling through emotional entanglements, sudden irrational convictions, involuntary gleams of insight, rationalized prejudices, and blocks of panic and inertia, finally to reach a completely incommunicable intuition.

3. Raj Dasgupta:

   It’s estimated that nearly 70 % of the population experience sleep starts at some point, medically speaking, hypnic jerks are classified as a type of myoclonus, which is a category of rapid, involuntary muscle movements. A classic example of myoclonus are hiccups.

4. Donald Trump:

   We must reform our mental health laws to better identify mentally disturbed individuals who may commit acts of violence and make sure those people not only get treatment but when necessary involuntary confinement, mental illness and hatred pulls the trigger, not the gun.

5. Fred Hayes/Getty:

   Our involuntary manslaughter statute covers unintentional killings, unintentional that means they didn’t mean to do it. They didn’t have the intent to kill. But it happened anyway, and it happened because of more than mere negligence… They didn’t exercise due caution or circumspection and that’s what happened here.