in ‧ vol ‧ un ‧ ta ‧ ry /ɪnˈvɒlənt ə ri $ ɪnˈvɑːlənteri/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ volunteer ; noun : ↑ volunteer ; adverb : ↑ voluntarily ≠ ↑ involuntarily ; adjective : ↑ voluntary ≠ ↑ involuntary ]
1 . an involuntary movement, sound, reaction etc is one that you make suddenly and without intending to because you cannot control yourself:
When Willie tapped on the window, Miguel gave an involuntary jump.
2 . happening to you although you do not want it to:
involuntary part-time workers
—involuntarily adverb