involuntary

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈvä-lən-ˌter-ē How to pronounce involuntary (audio)
Definition of involuntarynext
1
as in accidental
not made or done willingly or by choice my long stays on the sidelines during our football games were strictly involuntary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in automatic
done instantly and without conscious thought or decision breathing is involuntary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in compulsory
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law the abolition of involuntary servitude by civilized society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of involuntary According to the Partnership for Public Service, more than 200,000 civil servants left the federal workforce in 2025 through voluntary and involuntary separations aimed at reducing head count. — Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026 Over the ensuing decades, this sort of involuntary treatment has only become more common, while the evidence gets murkier. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 But advocates for the disabled community say involuntary institutionalization strips people of their autonomy and poses a higher risk of neglect and abuse. — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 31 July 2026 The company’s campaign directs people experiencing involuntary movements to their dedicated website and encourages them to consult healthcare providers. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for involuntary
  1. accidental
  2. automatic
  3. compulsory
  4. spontaneous
  5. mechanical
  6. mandatory
  7. unwilling
  8. reflex
Adjective
  • Driscoll and others involved in the mission worried that something far less dramatic could derail it, such as an accidental weapon discharge, an isolated confrontation with a protester or a guardsman caught on camera behaving poorly.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In these spaces, the risk of accidental contact with poison ivy is much higher.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of accidental
Adjective
  • The new safeguards include requiring law enforcement to label every search with a with a criminal case number, and instituting an automatic review for abnormal search activities, which will trigger proactive lockouts for those users.
    — Soo Youn, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm specializing in civil liberties cases, identified over 100 incidents of automatic license plate reader abuse, including stalking and wrongful stops.
    — Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of automatic
Adjective
  • Voting is optional in New Zealand but enrollment for those eligible and living in the country is compulsory, with failure to do so punishable by a fine of 100 New Zealand dollars ($59).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • While vessel inspections are not compulsory, member states can request a secondary inspection of a vessel in line with specified criteria.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of compulsory
Adjective
  • This case is small enough for spontaneous games by the lake, in an airport lounge, or after a long lunch that stretches into sunset cocktails—even the simplest games deserve first-class treatment.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Doctors diagnosed the man with a spontaneous epidural hematoma, which is a blood clot that forms in the head or spine without any preceding trauma.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of spontaneous
Adjective
  • Researchers in Germany are developing textile yarns that can repeatedly shorten and lengthen in response to temperature changes, potentially allowing fabrics to alter their shape without motors or other mechanical components.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Tire debris damaged the aircraft and contributed to multiple mechanical problems.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of mechanical
Adjective
  • From a historic red card to mandatory hydration breaks, Barton offers a window into changes from a World Cup referees’ perspective.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Program would be mandatory At least 111 substances of unknown safety have been added to foods, drinks and supplements sold in the United States without alerting the FDA, according to a study released this March.
    — Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandatory
Adjective
  • The United States appears unwilling to accept any conditions that could impede transit.
    — , CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But the public’s willingness to defend it cannot be unlimited if universities appear unwilling to confront their own problems.
    — David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of unwilling
Adjective
  • One breath, just long enough to let the reflex pass and judgment catch up.
    — Alfonso Cahero, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • One of the most notable advantages of reflex balls is their inherent unpredictability.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of reflex

Browse Nearby Words

involuntarily
involuntary
involute
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Involuntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/involuntary. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on involuntary

Nglish: Translation of involuntary for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All