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
Others will face involuntary debt collection this summer, the Department of Education announced.
—
Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Initially, Lilian seeks a quick fix for what appears to be some kind of involuntary crying.
—Guilherme Jacobs, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
The Baker Act permits the involuntary hospitalization and mental health treatment of individuals deemed to be a threat to themselves or others in Florida.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
The carrier with the highest rate of complaints per 100,000 passengers: Frontier Airlines, which had the worst cancellation record, worst record for on-time arrivals and worst record for involuntary bumping, PIRG found.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Initially, Lilian seeks a quick fix for what appears to be some kind of involuntary crying.
—Guilherme Jacobs, IndieWire, 21 May 2025
The Baker Act permits the involuntary hospitalization and mental health treatment of individuals deemed to be a threat to themselves or others in Florida.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
The carrier with the highest rate of complaints per 100,000 passengers: Frontier Airlines, which had the worst cancellation record, worst record for on-time arrivals and worst record for involuntary bumping, PIRG found.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for involuntary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for involuntary
Adjective
-
The trauma Miami Dolphins fans experience isn’t accidental.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
-
The difference in these teams after this opening act — 80 minutes of often great, mostly white-knuckled hockey — was an accidental flip of the puck out of play for a two-minute penalty near the end of overtime.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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These teams include 29 conference champions who receive automatic berths and 35 at-large teams selected by the NCAA DI Baseball Committee.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Almost a month later, on June 1, the spacecraft was less than four minutes away from liftoff when the ground launch sequencer — the computer that launches the rocket — triggered an automatic hold.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has issued compulsory evacuation orders for an area around the blaze, with lower evacuation warnings in force for a wider region.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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As China ramps up military and other pressure, Taiwan has also extended compulsory military service to one year from four months, doubled mandatory annual refresher training for reservists to two weeks, and pledged to increase its defense budget to more than 3% of its gross domestic product.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The digital nomad trend is growing and maturing Gen Z’s approach to location independence is less spontaneous and more strategic.—
Andrew Fennell,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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In a completely spontaneous decision, Flom sat down and got one of his ears pierced with a sparkling stud, and Haven’s reaction was priceless.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Speciale is a twin-turbo V-6 engine that, combined with an electric motor, makes 867 mechanical horsepower.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
16 June 2025
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Modern vehicles aren’t just mechanical marvels anymore—they’re software platforms on wheels.—
John Ellis,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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The Chiefs open their three-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday before a monthlong break.—
Jesse Newell,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2025
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But unlike that trio, the two-time All-Pro did not consider missing Gang Green’s mandatory minicamp.—
Antwan Staley,
Hartford Courant,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Real estate agents across the country report a chilled environment, with sellers unwilling to lower their prices and buyers reluctant to make a big purchase as the economy flounders and the costs for a mortgage, insurance and property taxes rise.—
Ronda Kaysen,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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The bad-guy turn came because Rhodes, dressed like a discount Homelander but seemingly unwilling to make the smart move to the dark side, was running out of breathing room.—
Oliver Bateman,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Loewe Grand inicio is a powerful two-way speaker with a bass reflex system and is available as a floor-standing speaker.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
Apart from the reflex response to a jump scare, the purpose of almost any horror movie is to disturb you.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Involuntary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/involuntary. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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