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
Callum DeQuevedo struggled for seven months with severe involuntary tics, punching himself and yelling, before anyone knew why this was happening.
—
Jenna Deangelis, CBS News, 6 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
The department's statement comes three weeks after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel raised questions about whether police officers should have taken Zettel's daughter, 29-year-old Lauren Spors, into custody under Wisconsin's involuntary mental health commitment law.
—Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Beckett was particularly drawn to Proust’s pioneering depiction of involuntary memory—the sudden, revelatory insight into the past that springs from a cup of tea in his Search.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
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Jenna Deangelis, CBS News, 6 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
The department's statement comes three weeks after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel raised questions about whether police officers should have taken Zettel's daughter, 29-year-old Lauren Spors, into custody under Wisconsin's involuntary mental health commitment law.
—Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Beckett was particularly drawn to Proust’s pioneering depiction of involuntary memory—the sudden, revelatory insight into the past that springs from a cup of tea in his Search.
—Literary Hub, 2 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 10 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
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