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
Vidal said Allman had been placed on involuntary hospital holds multiple times, including in September 2023.
—
Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2026
During his first involuntary hospitalization, Fahim was diagnosed with schizophrenia and began taking an antipsychotic medication, evidence showed.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
But in the case of screenwriter Jeremy Robbins, receiving an involuntary breather from the breakneck pace of TV writers’ rooms provided him the runway to write a spec feature script called Apex.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
Officials said internal politics led to Morris’s involuntary departure.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2026
During his first involuntary hospitalization, Fahim was diagnosed with schizophrenia and began taking an antipsychotic medication, evidence showed.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
But in the case of screenwriter Jeremy Robbins, receiving an involuntary breather from the breakneck pace of TV writers’ rooms provided him the runway to write a spec feature script called Apex.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
Officials said internal politics led to Morris’s involuntary departure.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for involuntary
Adjective
-
Acrasia wears a face crafted by history and time, but Phalene wears a face crafted by Acrasia, who is a significantly less accidental artist than history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Warranties typically exclude routine maintenance, wear and tear, and accidental damage.—
Charlotte Maracina,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Yale will be trying for its first title since the Ivy League started playing a postseason tournament in 2023, and the NCAA Tournament automatic bid that goes to the champion.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
President Pablo Longoria, sporting director Mehdi Benatia and head coach Roberto De Zerbi were portrayed as working in lockstep, and De Zerbi’s first season at the helm had concluded with Marseille securing automatic Champions League qualification for only the third time since 2013.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
The dominance of the AI theme over stock-market performance, corporate profitability, economic growth and investor attention has grown so extreme that some very large structural questions now seem urgent and compulsory.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
Until recently both were compulsory and couldn’t be removed.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
But energy itself – raucous, coordinated and diligently trained on every shot – seems largely spontaneous and self-generated.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
-
From scenic highways and spontaneous detours to roadside inns and vintage diners, road trips offer a certain kind of freedom and ambiance that a flight can simply never replicate.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rescuing utopian idyll from dystopian reality, Koreeda determines that humanity is too fragile to forfeit its defining qualities to a mechanical species; that our only viable function in an artificial tomorrow is as the eternal caretakers of memory and imagination.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
Does my insurance cover a mechanical breakdown?—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
The new ranch comes with a coffee-drinking porch (mandatory), but it is weathered, rustic and needs work.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
In California, babies between 15 days and 6 months can only work for 20 minutes at a time and spend two hours on set per day; also mandatory is a nurse, a guardian and a studio teacher, who ensures the baby’s wellbeing is looked after.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
But Leetch was unwilling to make such a defiant gesture.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Whiteness craves power and money and is unwilling to concede that power and money to non-whites.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wyle listened to the two women’s breathing and administered a reflex test on their knees.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
That reflex delays care and erodes trust.—
Liz Koch,
STAT,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Involuntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/involuntary. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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