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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of involuntary
The siblings go through old pictures, watch old Super 8 footage and even read to each other from surprisingly graphic letters between their parents, expressing involuntary waves of horror and pride at how horny Jerry and Anne were for each other.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Trump released an executive order in July encouraging states to expand involuntary commitment laws — a legal process forcing people considered a danger to themselves or others into inpatient psychiatric care.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Doctors can offer patients medications to treat their symptoms, such as reducing chorea (involuntary, unpredictable muscle movements) and depression.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
When a defendant's case is dismissed because of permanent incompetence, judges can consider whether the defendant should be civilly committed for involuntary mental health treatment.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Trump released an executive order in July encouraging states to expand involuntary commitment laws — a legal process forcing people considered a danger to themselves or others into inpatient psychiatric care.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Doctors can offer patients medications to treat their symptoms, such as reducing chorea (involuntary, unpredictable muscle movements) and depression.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
When a defendant's case is dismissed because of permanent incompetence, judges can consider whether the defendant should be civilly committed for involuntary mental health treatment.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for involuntary
Adjective
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Past outages on this scale have been caused by a wide variety of errors, including faulty updates, the accidental injection of bad code, or a change to third-party software that doesn’t play nicely with a service.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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In the caption of her Instagram post, King revealed that the accidental encounter went better than some might think.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Choose from eight lighting modes—including twinkle, slow fade, steady glow, or flash—and even set an automatic shut-off timer.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The problem arises when implicit or explicit pressures make either covering or uncovering feel compulsory—so the aim is to restore agency, letting employees decide for themselves without penalty.—
Tia Katz,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The campaign faces a tight deadline, but veto referendums have been successful in Missouri as recently as 2017, when labor unions successfully organized to defeat a right-to-work law that would have banned compulsory union fees.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These mutations can be spontaneous, but the paternal age of a sperm donor can also be a factor.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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The piece signals transformation, but the spontaneous laugh turns luxury into connection; by the red-gown reveal, the necklace reads less like a trophy and more like a charm that’s worked.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Oct. 2025
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Its improved flexibility, joint control, and mechanical balance enable it to mimic human movement more closely than ever before.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Congress failed to pass a budget or temporary funding measure before the federal fiscal year ended on October 1, forcing many federal agencies to cease all non-mandatory operations.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Having initially faced 20 years in jail, the additional indictments raised his possible jail term to 45 years, with a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Last year, the Mets were unwilling to give the 30-year-old slugger a long-term contract, settling on a two-year, $54 million contract with a player opt-out clause for next season, according to Spotrac.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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Orpheus, unwilling to have anything to do with women again, chooses to become a swan in his next life, while a swan decides to become a man.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In each case, there's a recognition that some players might want to explore a game's world—to experience the characters, art, and dialogue that the developers worked so hard to craft—without struggling through mechanical reflex tests or grindy, repetitive challenges.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 Oct. 2025
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This realistic doctor’s coat has everything your aspiring doctor needs to give their patients a check-up, including a face mask, a stethoscope with sound effects (AAA batteries not included), thermometer, syringe, reflex hammer, and reusable name tag.—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Involuntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/involuntary. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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