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spontaneous

 - 3 dictionary results

spon⋅ta⋅ne⋅ous

  [spon-tey-nee-uhs]
Use spontaneous in a Sentence
–adjective
1. coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned: a spontaneous burst of applause.
2. (of a person) given to acting upon sudden impulses.
3. (of natural phenomena) arising from internal forces or causes; independent of external agencies; self-acting.
4. growing naturally or without cultivation, as plants and fruits; indigenous.
5. produced by natural process.
Origin:
1650–60; < LL spontāneus, equiv. to L spont(e) willingly + -āneus (-ān(us) -an + -eus -eous )

Related forms:
spon⋅ta⋅ne⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
spon⋅ta⋅ne⋅ous⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. unpremeditated, free. See automatic, voluntary.

Antonyms:
1. premeditated.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To spontaneous
spon·ta·ne·ous   (spŏn-tā'nē-əs)   
adj.  

  1. Happening or arising without apparent external cause; self-generated.

  2. Arising from a natural inclination or impulse and not from external incitement or constraint.

  3. Unconstrained and unstudied in manner or behavior.

  4. Growing without cultivation or human labor.


[From Late Latin spontāneus, of one's own accord, from Latin sponte; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots.]
spon·ta'ne·ous·ly adv., spon·ta'ne·ous·ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean acting, reacting, or happening without apparent forethought or prompting. Spontaneous applies to what arises naturally rather than resulting from external constraint or stimulus: "The highest and best form of efficiency is the spontaneous cooperation of a free people" (Woodrow Wilson).
Impulsive refers to the operation of a sudden urge or feeling not governed by reason: Buying a car was an impulsive act that he immediately regretted.
Instinctive implies behavior that is a natural consequence of membership in a species. The term also applies to what reflects or comes about as a result of a natural inclination or innate impulse: Helping people in an emergency seems as instinctive as breathing.
Involuntary refers to what is not subject to the control of the will: "People drew in their breath with involuntary surprise and suspense" (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
Automatic implies an unvarying mechanical response or reaction: She accepted the subpoena with an automatic "thank you."
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: spon·ta·ne·ous
Pronunciation: spän-'tA-nE-&s
Function: adjective
1 : proceeding from natural feeling ornative tendency without external constraint
2 : developing without apparent external influence, force, cause, or treatment spontaneous nosebleed> —spon·ta·ne·ous·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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