involuntary

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈvɑl.ənˌtɛ.ɹi/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: in‧vol‧un‧ta‧ry

Adjective

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.

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• involuntarily
• involuntariness
• involuntary muscle
• involuntary park

 

• involuntary manslaughter

Related terms

• volunteer

Translations

without intention; unintentional

• Belarusian: мімаво́льны (mimavólʹny), міжво́льны (mižvólʹny), няво́льны (njavólʹny)
• Bulgarian: нево́лен (bg) (nevólen)
• Catalan: involuntari
• Dutch: niet intentioneel
• Finnish: tahaton (fi), vahinko-
• French: involontaire (fr)
• Galician: involuntario (gl)
• Georgian: უნებლიე (uneblie)
• German: unabsichtlich (de), unwillkürlich (de), ungewollt (de)
• Greek: ακούσιος (el) (akoúsios), αθέλητος (el) (athélitos)

  Ancient: ἀκούιος (akoúios)

• Hungarian: akaratlan (hu), önkéntelen (hu)
• Italian: involontario (it)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: xwenewîst

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: ufrivillig (no)

  Nynorsk: ufrivillig

• Polish: mimowolny (pl)
• Portuguese: involuntário (pt)
• Romanian: involuntar (ro)
• Russian: нево́льный (ru) (nevólʹnyj), непроизво́льный (ru) (neproizvólʹnyj)
• Spanish: involuntario (es)
• Ukrainian: мимові́льний (mymovílʹnyj), неві́льний (nevílʹnyj)

not voluntary or willing

• Bulgarian: недоброво́лен (nedobrovólen), принуди́телен (bg) (prinudítelen)
• Catalan: involuntari
• Dutch: onwillekeurig (nl)
• Finnish: vastentahtoinen (fi), tahaton (fi)
• German: unfreiwillig (de), ohne es zu wollen
• Greek: ακούσιος (el) (akoúsios), αθέλητος (el) (athélitos)

  Ancient: ἀκούιος (akoúios)

• Hungarian: kényszerű (hu)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: xwenewîst

• Manx: neuarryltagh
• Polish: mimowolny (pl)
• Portuguese: involuntário (pt)
• Russian: нево́льный (ru) (nevólʹnyj), недоброво́льный (ru) (nedobrovólʹnyj), принуди́тельный (ru) (prinudítelʹnyj)
• Spanish: involuntario (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} involuntari
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} éadoilteanach, ^{(please verify)} ainneonach, ^{(please verify)} neamhthoiliúil

References

• “involuntary”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “involuntary”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.