involuntary

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American, dialects of Canada) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈvɑ.lənˌtɛɹ.i/
• (Canada, dialects of the US) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈvɒl.ənˌtɛɹ.i/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈvɔl.ən.tɹi/
• Hyphenation: in‧vol‧un‧ta‧ry

involuntary (comparative more involuntary, superlative most involuntary)

1. Without intention; unintentional.
2. Not voluntary or willing; contrary or opposed to explicit will or desire; unwilling.

   He found himself the involuntary witness in the trial.

• (without intention): inadvertent, unintended; see also Thesaurus:unintentional
• (not voluntary): unbewised, unvoluntary; see also Thesaurus:compulsory

• volunteer

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “involuntary”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “involuntary”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.