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.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Late Latin spontneus, of one's own accord, from Latin sponte. See (s)pen- in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS:
spon·tane·ous·ly —ADVERB spon·tane·ous·ness —NOUN
SYNONYMS:
spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, involuntary, automatic 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, Poganuc People: Their Loves and Lives 1878.) Automatic implies an unvarying mechanical response or reaction: She accepted the subpoena with an automatic “thank you.”
sp
n-t
n
-
s
