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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of involuntary
The first involuntary layoffs occurred in 2008 when the Development Services Department laid off 16 employees.
—
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette’s syndrome, and was not intentional.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
Per the Tourette Association of America, the condition is characterized by sudden, involuntary movements and/or sounds called tics.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The 54-year-old advocate has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to the Tourette Association of America.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette’s syndrome, and was not intentional.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
Per the Tourette Association of America, the condition is characterized by sudden, involuntary movements and/or sounds called tics.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
The 54-year-old advocate has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to the Tourette Association of America.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for involuntary
Adjective
-
In early February, a 59-year-old Halethorpe man died after a lighter sparked an accidental house fire, Baltimore County Fire officials said.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
This helps prevent accidental spills or leaks, which can create quite a mess in your luggage.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the majority negative opinions about the president don't appear to translate into an automatic boon for Democrats.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
-
While riding mowers include safety functions such as automatic shut-offs, blade brakes, and rollover protection, the sheer size of the machine increases the injury risk if it is not properly handled.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There is more compulsory masculinity, less faggotry.—
E. Alex Jung,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Where military service is compulsory, and may only disappoint our best or even worst men, but can be interrupted, thank god, by life’s hairpin turns.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This spontaneous journey took me to Andalucía, the southernmost region of the Iberian Peninsula, with natural beauty that unravels like a cinematic masterpiece.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Your co-ruler, go-getter Mars, enters the same sector on March 2, which throws more fuel behind any endeavor tied to expressing yourself or being more spontaneous and lighthearted with your nearest and dearest.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tariq and Rod worry about how our mechanical masters might take our place in the cosmos.—
Space.com Staff,
Space.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Tracy Price, a multigenerational Palisades resident, described how historic fuel break programs and mechanical clearing on adjacent lands were discontinued decades ago.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dumping waste in commercial quantities is a misdemeanor under county laws, punishable by up to six months in jail and a mandatory fine.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The 45-year-old denied the charge at a hearing but an independent commission found otherwise, and also handed him a £2,000 fine and ordered him to attend a mandatory education course.—
Dan Kilpatrick,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Such is the confusion and chaos sown by an executive branch unwilling to negotiate with the people’s representatives, as the Constitution envisions.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
In Anthropic’s telling, the result was an off‑the‑books pipeline that turned Claude into an unwilling teacher for models being developed inside China’s increasingly competitive AI sector.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There was a reflex stop on a David Kämpf flash rebound in the second period.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
After your baby is born progesterone (which inhibits breastmilk production) drops and prolactin, which controls milk volume, and oxytocin, which triggers the let-down reflex increases, explains Nadine Rosenblum, the perinatal lactation program coordinator at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Involuntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/involuntary. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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