spontaneous
3 definitions found
spontaneous - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Spontaneous \Spon*ta"ne*ous\ (sp[o^]n*t[=a]"n[-e]*[u^]s), a. [L.
spontaneus, fr. sponte of free will, voluntarily.]
1. Proceeding from natural feeling, temperament, or
disposition, or from a native internal proneness,
readiness, or tendency, without constraint; as, a
spontaneous gift or proposition.
[1913 Webster]
2. Proceeding from, or acting by, internal impulse, energy,
or natural law, without external force; as, spontaneous
motion; spontaneous growth.
[1913 Webster]
3. Produced without being planted, or without human labor;
as, a spontaneous growth of wood.
[1913 Webster]
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. (Biol.) See under Generation.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Voluntary; uncompelled; willing.
Usage: 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 labor." --J. Seed.
[1913 Webster]
Spontaneous joys, where nature has its play,
The soul adopts, and owns their firstborn away.
--Goldsmith.
[1913 Webster] -- Spon*ta"ne*ous*ly, adv. --
Spon*ta"ne*ous*ness, n.
[1913 Webster]
spontaneous - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :
spontaneous
adj 1: happening or arising without apparent external cause;
"spontaneous laughter"; "spontaneous combustion"; "a
spontaneous abortion" [syn: spontaneous, self- generated
] [ant: induced]
2: said or done without having been planned or written in
advance; "he made a few ad-lib remarks" [syn: ad-lib,
spontaneous, unwritten]
spontaneous - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :
119 Moby Thesaurus words for "spontaneous":
ad lib, arbitrary, automated, automatic, automatous, autonomous,
bat, baton, billy, billy club, bludgeon, casual, club, cybernated,
discretional, discretionary, elective, extemporaneous, extempore,
free, free will, gratuitous, gut, ill-advised, ill-considered,
ill-devised, immediate, impetuous, impromptu, improvised,
impulsive, inadvertent, indeliberate, independent, inherent,
innate, instinctive, instinctual, involuntary, libidinal, mace,
mechanical, natural, nightstick, nonmandatory, off the cuff,
offered, offhand, optional, proffered, reflex, reflexive,
self-acting, self-active, self-adjusting, self-closing,
self-controlled, self-cooking, self-determined, self-determining,
self-directed, self-directing, self-dumping, self-governed,
self-governing, self-lighting, self-operative, self-regulative,
self-starting, self-winding, self-working, semiautomatic, simple,
snap, spontoon, spur-of-the-moment, subliminal, truncheon,
unadvised, unannounced, unasked, unbesought, unbidden,
uncalculated, uncalled-for, uncoerced, uncompelled, unconscious,
unconsidered, unconstrained, undeliberate, undeliberated,
undesigned, unforced, unguarded, uninfluenced, unintended,
unintentional, uninvited, unlearned, unmeditated, unplanned,
unpremeditated, unprepared, unpressured, unprompted, unrehearsed,
unrequested, unrequired, unsolicited, unsophisticated, unsought,
unstudied, unthinking, unwilled, unwitting, voluntary, volunteer,
willful
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