involuntary
pronunciation
How to pronounce involuntary in British English:
UK [ɪnˈvɒləntri]
How to pronounce involuntary in American English:
US [ɪnˈvɑlənteri]
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- Adjective:
- not subject to the control of the will
- controlled by the autonomic nervous system; without conscious control
Word Origin
- involuntary (adj.)
- mid-15c., from Late Latin involuntarius "involuntary," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Latin voluntarius (see voluntary). Related: Involuntarily.
Synonym
Antonym
Example
- 1. However , much sleep deprivation is involuntary .
- 2. Healthy , voluntary coughs tend to be slightly louder than the involuntary coughs of an ill person .
- 3. The next step is to control the involuntary movements with medication .
- 4. It is very tempting and almost involuntary to look back on the past and obsess over something we regret or something we miss .
- 5. You didn 't have to choose between the two , of course , but on a visceral , almost involuntary level the choice made itself for me .