Definition of Spontaneous

1. Adjective. Happening or arising without apparent external cause. "A spontaneous abortion"

Exact synonyms: Self-generated
Similar to: Impulsive, Unprompted, Intuitive, Instinctive, Natural
Antonyms: Induced
Derivative terms: Spontaneity

2. Adjective. Said or done without having been planned or written in advance. "He made a few ad-lib remarks"
Exact synonyms: Ad-lib, Unwritten
Similar to: Unscripted
Derivative terms: Spontaneousness

Definition of Spontaneous

1. a. Proceding from natural feeling, temperament, or disposition, or from a native internal proneness, readiness, or tendency, without constraint; as, a spontaneous gift or proportion.

Definition of Spontaneous

1. Adjective. Self generated; happening without any apparent external cause. ¹

2. Adjective. Done by one's own free choice, or without planning. ¹

3. Adjective. proceeding from natural feeling or native tendency without external constraint ¹

4. Adjective. arising from a momentary impulse ¹

5. Adjective. controlled and directed internally : self-active : spontaneous movement characteristic of living things ¹

6. Adjective. produced without being planted or without human labor : indigenous ¹

7. Adjective. not apparently contrived or manipulated : natural ¹

8. Adjective. Random. ¹

9. Adjective. Sudden, without warning. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Spontaneous

1. [adj]

Medical Definition of Spontaneous

1. 1. Proceding from natural feeling, temperament, or disposition, or from a native internal proneness, readiness, or tendency, without constraint; as, a spontaneous gift or proportion. 2. Proceeding from, or acting by, internal impulse, energy, or natural law, without external force; as, spontaneous motion; spontaneous growth. 3. Produced without being planted, or without human labour; as, a spontaneous growth of wood. Spontaneous combustion, combustion produced in a substance by the evolution of heat through the chemical action of its own elements; as, the spontaneous combustion of waste matter saturated with oil. Spontaneous generation. See Generation. Synonym: Voluntary, uncompelled, willing. Spontaneous, Voluntary. What is voluntary is the result of a volition, or act of choice; it therefore implies some degree of consideration, and may be the result of mere reason without excited feeling. What is spontaneous springs wholly from feeling, or a sudden impulse which admits of no reflection; as, a spontaneous burst of applause. Hence, the term is also applied to things inanimate when they are produced without the determinate purpose or care of man. "Abstinence which is but voluntary fasting, and . . . Exercise which is but voluntary labour." "Spontaneous joys, where nature has its play, The soul adopts, and owns their firstborn away." (Goldsmith) Sponta"neously, Sponta"neousness. Origin: L. Spontaneus, fr. Sponte of free will, voluntarily. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Spontaneous

sponsons
sponsor
sponsored
sponsored links
sponsorer
sponsorers
sponsorial
sponsoring
sponsorless
sponsors
sponsorship
sponsorships
spontaneities
spontaneity
spontaneous (current term)
spontaneous abortion
spontaneous agglutination
spontaneous amputation
spontaneous breech extraction
spontaneous cephalic delivery
spontaneous combustion
spontaneous combustions
spontaneous correction of placenta previa
spontaneous emission
spontaneous evolution
spontaneous fracture
spontaneous gangrene of newborn
spontaneous generation
spontaneous generations

Literary usage of Spontaneous

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

1. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences by Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (U.S.) (1916)
"Immune Reactions against Tumor Growth in Animals with spontaneous Tumor.—"While the conditions determining the growth of tumors in experimentally inoculated ..."

2. Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics by The American College of Surgeons, Franklin H. Martin Memorial Foundation (1913)
"Two of the tumors used for inoculation of mice with spontaneous tumors were inoculated ... For these experiments we used 55 mice bearing spontaneous tumors. ..."

3. Monographic Medicine by William Robie Patten Emerson, Guido Guerrini, William Brown, Wendell Christopher Phillips, John Whitridge Williams, John Appleton Swett, Hans Günther, Mario Mariotti, Hugh Grant Rowell (1916)
"(1) Disturbances of spontaneous Speech Under spontaneous speech we ... In spontaneous conversation the quantity of speech movements made should be noted. ..."

4. All the Year Round by Charles Dickens (1873)
"He contended in addition that spontaneous combustion alone could satisfactorily explain the ... The whole profession blazed up at thie, and the spontaneous ..."

5. The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori (1912)
"The directress wished to interfere to release me, but I signed to her to be quiet, and I myself did not move, but remained silent, admiring this spontaneous ..."

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