involuntary

English

Etymology

From in- +‎ voluntary, from Late Latin involontarius, from in + volontarius.

Adjective

involuntary (comparative more involuntary, superlative most involuntary)

  1. Without intention; unintentional.
    He involuntarily overheard the conversation.
  2. Not voluntary or willing; contrary or opposed to explicit will or desire; unwilling.
    He found himself the involuntary witness in the trial.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

References

  • involuntary in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • involuntary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
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