involuntarily
advUK /ɪnˈvɒləntɹɪli/ · US /ɪnˌvɑlənˈtɛɹɪli/
Etymology From involuntary + -ly or in- + voluntarily.
1
In an involuntary manner; done without conscious thought.
- Her leg twitched involuntarily.
- He involuntarily overheard the conversation.
2 more examples
- His eyes filled with tears, as he took up the glittering lengths. Their pale gold was lovely as ever; but there was something in the touch from which he involuntarily recoiled.1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Last Letter”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 283:
- Kennedy’s vocal rasp is not caused by an infection or respiratory condition. Instead, he has spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological condition in which the muscles that open and close his vocal cords spasm involuntarily, creating a strained or strangled quality to his speech.2025 January 29, Sandee LaMotte, “A rare brain disorder robbed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of his strong speaking voice”, in CNN:
- Related terms
- unwillingly