involuntary, voluntary

involuntary, voluntary
The meanings of these words are so different that they should never be confused, but they often are. Involuntary means "unintentional" or "unconscious" (an involuntary movement of the eyes); "independent of one's will," "made or done other than by one's own choice" (an involuntary witness to the crime). Voluntary means "undertaken or brought about by one's own choice, one's free will (a voluntary contribution to the campaign); "according to one's own will or desires" (voluntary cooperation with the police). Voluntary implies the previous use of judgment and consideration (a voluntary admission of guilt); involuntary implies lack of conscious control and is the direct opposite of intentional (involuntary twitching of tired muscles).

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • voluntary — vol|un|ta|ry1 W3 [ˈvɔləntəri US ˈva:lənteri] adj ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(without being paid)¦ 2¦(without being forced)¦ 3¦(movement of the body)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [Date: 1300 1400; : Latin; Origin: voluntarius, from voluntas will , from velle to will, wish ] 1.)… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • voluntary — See involuntary. See involuntary, voluntary …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • involuntary — See involuntary, voluntary …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • Involuntary memory — is a conception of human memory in which cues encountered in everyday life evoke recollections of the past without conscious effort. Its binary opposite is voluntary memory, a deliberate effort to recall the past. French author Marcel Proust… …   Wikipedia

  • Voluntary commitment — is the act or practice of a person being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, or other mental health facility, voluntarily, and without the process of involuntary commitment. Unlike in involuntary commitment the person is free to leave the… …   Wikipedia

  • voluntary — voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willful, willing can mean constituting or proceeding from an exercise of free will. Voluntary, the most widely applicable of these terms, often implies not only freedom from constraint but freedom from the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • voluntary bankruptcy — n: bankruptcy declared upon petition of the debtor see also bankruptcy Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. voluntary bankruptcy …   Law dictionary

  • Involuntary — In*vol un*ta*ry, a. [L. involuntarius. See {In } not, and {Voluntary}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Not having will or the power of choice. [1913 Webster] 2. Not under the influence or control of the will; not voluntary; as, the involuntary movements of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Involuntary celibacy — (or incel) is the state of a person who has not established an intimate relationship or engaged in sexual intercourse for reasons other than voluntary celibacy or sexual abstinence. The term is used especially for adults who, despite general… …   Wikipedia

  • involuntary bankruptcy — ➔ bankruptcy * * * involuntary bankruptcy UK US noun [U] LAW ► a situation in which a business or a person becomes unable to pay their debts, and is made officially bankrupt after people who are owed money go to court to try to get some of their… …   Financial and business terms

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