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
Mangual told Fox News Digital that implementing harsher bail policies for previous convicts and allowing for easier involuntary commitment are important steps forward, but North Carolina and other states need more space to house inmates in order for the policies to be effective.
—
Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
After awarding the voluntary furlough, management will proceed with involuntary furloughs in inverse order of system seniority up to the 1,800 number, in accordance with flight attendant contracts, the union said.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
Union Pacific has committed that these employees will not face involuntary furloughs because of the merger, the union said.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Doctors placed him on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
After awarding the voluntary furlough, management will proceed with involuntary furloughs in inverse order of system seniority up to the 1,800 number, in accordance with flight attendant contracts, the union said.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
Union Pacific has committed that these employees will not face involuntary furloughs because of the merger, the union said.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Doctors placed him on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for involuntary
Adjective
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On sale for $14, this hanging toiletry bag is big enough to hold all of your skincare, haircare, and makeup essentials while protecting your clothes from accidental spills.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
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The three victims' deaths were ruled accidental, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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How teams stack up in the race for automatic bids, first-round byes and staying on the right side of the bubble.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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De’Longhi Magnifica Evo Small and simple, the Magnifica is an automatic machine that can brew seven drinks, including espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, and iced coffee.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 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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Weekday dinners, spontaneous hikes and running downhill with their dogs are all part of the routine.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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Our results suggest that children are actually capable of spontaneous logical strategy discovery much earlier when circumstances require it.—
Celeste Kidd,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Driving through deep water can also affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Oct. 2025
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Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Medicare will not be interrupted by the shutdown because it’s classified as a mandatory government service.—
Sarah Moreno,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
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Nearly eight years later, Serhat Gumrukcu, 42, of Los Angeles, is facing a mandatory life sentence in the killing of Gregory Davis, who was abducted from his Vermont home and found shot to death at the base of a nearby snowbank in January 2018, according to prosecutors.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The film has included the more sensitive images of the anti-lockdown protests, but seems unwilling or incapable to confront what happened next.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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Several of the group’s top political officials were said to have supported the deal while its militants inside Gaza were unwilling to lay down their arms.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The reflex trade was a textbook Fed-easing play to rotate out of big, expensive growth stocks and into lower-quality, more cyclical small-caps and financials .—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Involuntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/involuntary. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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