involuntary
adjective
in·vol·un·tary
(ˌ)in-ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē 
-ˌte-rē
Examples of involuntary in a Sentence
Breathing and circulation are involuntary processes.
When the door burst open, she let out an involuntary shriek.
The lawyer argued that the client's confession was involuntary.
Recent Examples on the Web
During the call, his mother could be heard asking for involuntary assistance for her son to be taken to a hospital for medical care.
—
Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
In two of those cases, involuntary and incidental, a competitor would typically be penalized with a yellow card, which effectively serves as a warning.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
In Chapter 1, the Strangers — who are regarded as Scarecrow, Pinup Girl and Dollface per their mask designs — killed Maya’s fiancé, Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), amidst their involuntary stay in the small town of Venus, Oregon.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Lactalis was criticized for acting too slowly and charged for failing to recall the product, deception and involuntary injuries.
—Tara Patel, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
In two of those cases, involuntary and incidental, a competitor would typically be penalized with a yellow card, which effectively serves as a warning.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
In Chapter 1, the Strangers — who are regarded as Scarecrow, Pinup Girl and Dollface per their mask designs — killed Maya’s fiancé, Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), amidst their involuntary stay in the small town of Venus, Oregon.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
Lactalis was criticized for acting too slowly and charged for failing to recall the product, deception and involuntary injuries.
—Tara Patel, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Cite this Entry
“Involuntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/involuntary. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
involuntary
adjective
in·vol·un·tary
(ˈ)in-ˈväl-ən-ˌter-ē
1
: not made or done willingly or from choice : unwilling
2
: being enforced or required : mandatory
3
: not normally under the control of the will
an involuntary response to a stimulus
Medical Definition
involuntary
adjective
in·vol·un·tary
(ˈ)in-ˈväl-ən-ˌter-ē
: not subject to control of the will : reflex
involuntary contractions
Legal Definition
involuntary
adjective
in·vol·un·tary
in-ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē
: done, made, or initiated contrary to or without one's choice
an involuntary confession
an involuntary lien
an involuntary plaintiff joined in the action
involuntarily
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
