involuntary

adjective
UK: /ɪnˈvɒləntri/
US: /ɪnˈvɑːləntri/

  1. Done without conscious control or intention.

    1. Blinking is an involuntary action of our body.
    2. His involuntary shudder revealed his deep fear of the dark, stormy night.

  2. Relating to something done against one's will; forced.

    1. His departure was involuntary because he had been fired.
    2. The involuntary bankruptcy was a devastating blow to the entrepreneur's ambitions.

Synonyms

compulsory unwitting forced automatic unintentional
involuntary noun

  1. An action or movement that is performed automatically and without conscious thought.

    1. The doctor checked for involuntary reflexes.
    2. Spasms can be classified as a type of involuntary movement affecting muscles.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "involuntary" in English means: Done without conscious control or intention., Relating to something done against one's will; forced..

The phonetic transcription of "involuntary" is /ɪnˈvɒləntri/ in British English and /ɪnˈvɑːləntri/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "involuntary": compulsory, unwitting, forced, automatic, unintentional.

Example usage of "involuntary": "Blinking is an involuntary action of our body.". More examples on the page.