Lexic.us

Definition of Involuntary

1. Adjective. Not subject to the control of the will. "It (becoming a hero) was involuntary. They sank my boat"

2. Adjective. Controlled by the autonomic nervous system; without conscious control. "Gave an involuntary start"

Definition of Involuntary

1. a. Not having will or the power of choice.

Definition of Involuntary

1. Adjective. Without intention; unintentional. ¹

2. Adjective. Not voluntary or willing; contrary or opposed to explicit will or desire; unwilling. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Involuntary

1. [adj]

Medical Definition of Involuntary

1. 1. Not having will of the power of choice. 2. Not under the influence or control of the will; not voluntary; as, the involuntary movements of the body; involuntary muscle fibres. 3. Not proceeding from choice; done unwillingly; reluctant; compulsory; as, involuntary submission. Origin: L. Involuntarius. (28 Oct 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Involuntary

involucellum involucels involucra involucral involucrate involucrated involucre involucred involucres involucret

involucrets involucrin involucrum involuntarily involuntariness involuntary (current term) involuntary guarding involuntary muscle involuntary muscles involuntary nervous system

involuntary trust involute involuted involutes involuting involution cyst involution form involution of the uterus involutional

Literary usage of Involuntary

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Handbook of Physiology by William Dobinson Halliburton (1913)
"CHAPTER XIII COMPARISON OF VOLUNTARY AND involuntary MUSCLE THE main difference between voluntary and involuntary muscle is the difference expressed in ..."

2. South Eastern Reporter by West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, West Publishing Company, South Carolina Supreme Court (1912)
"Juror: "We wanted to know If there was more than one kind; that is, involuntary manslaughter." The Court: "The court gave you instructions with reference to ..."

3. The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle by Aristotle, Robert Williams (1869)
"Now it would seem that such acts only are involuntary as are done under compulsion or through ignorance. And that is done under compulsion the efficient ..."

4. The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle by Aristotle, Frank Hesketh Peters (1886)
"Now, praise* or blame is given only to what is voluntary ; that which is involuntary receives pardon, and sometimes even pity. mams not It seems, therefore, ..."

5. The Law and Practice in Bankruptcy Under the National Bankruptcy Act of 1898 by William Miller Collier, William Horace Hotchkiss, Frank Bixby Gilbert, Fred Eugene Rosbrook (1921)
"Where involuntary petition has been filed.13—The practice of allowing a bankrupt to file a voluntary petition in bankruptcy after an involuntary petition ..."

6. Psychology, General Introduction by Charles Hubbard Judd (1917)
"Impulse comparable to involuntary attention. The term "impulse" as applied to behavior finds a parallel in certain terms which arc used in describing ..."

7. Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia by John Bouvier, Francis Rawle (1914)
"involuntary. An involuntary 'act is that which Is performed with constraint (qv), ... An action is involuntary which is performed under duress. ..."

8. Psychology: A Study of Mental Life by Robert Sessions Woodworth (1921)
"On the other hand, a completely involuntary act is rather exceptional in human behavior ... The simplest reflexes, to be sure, are completely involuntary. ..."

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