Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- In an involuntary manner; not spontaneously; without one's will.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adverb In an involuntary manner; not voluntarily; not intentionally or willingly.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb In an
involuntary manner; done withoutconscious thought.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb against your will
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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As it is, Bobby Garwood was a major embarrassment to two government: the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, for their claiming no living Americans remain involuntarily in their country, and to the U.S. for believing them.
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House cleaning, voluntarily and/or involuntarily, is required and a fresh start is needed.
Has Microsoft Sent Yahoo Into a Death Spiral? - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
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"Long Sin," came the name involuntarily to my lips, for I knew that Wu would delegate just such a job to his faithful slave.
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So he was harnessed in again, and proudly he pulled as of old, though more than once he cried out involuntarily from the bite of his inward hurt.
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So he was harnessed in again, and proudly he pulled as of old, though more than once he cried out involuntarily from the bite of his inward hurt.
Chapter 4 1903
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And at last she found herself uttering the name involuntarily, overcome by something stronger than her dread.
Demos George Gissing 1880
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She blushed crimson as the word involuntarily broke from her lips, and cried again as loudly as she could, "Help!"
The Bread-winners A Social Study John Hay 1870
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Astonishment, pleasure, hope, and shame, took alternate rapid possession of her mind; but the last sensation was the first that visibly operated, and she snatched her hand involuntarily from the Major.
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I knew not what to say; but I sighed involuntarily from the bottom of my heart.
Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance Into the World 1778
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And even later, when for the first time in her life she had lain in bed with a man and said his name involuntarily or said it truly meaning him, the name she was screaming and saying was not his at all.
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