spontaneous

English

Etymology

Late Latin spontāneus, from Latin sponte (suā) (“of one's free will, voluntarily”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /spɒnˈteɪ.ni.əs/
(US) IPA^(key): /spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs/
Rhymes: -eɪniəs
Audio (US) (file)

Adjective

spontaneous (comparative more spontaneous, superlative most spontaneous)

Self-generated; happening without any apparent external cause.
He made a spontaneous offer of help.
Done by one's own free choice, or without planning.
Proceeding from natural feeling or native tendency without external or conscious constraint
Arising from a momentary impulse
Controlled and directed internally; self-active; spontaneous movement characteristic of living things
Produced without being planted or without human labor; indigenous
a spontaneous growth of wood
Random.
Sudden, without warning.

Synonyms

(self-generated): autonomous
(done by one's own free choice): autonomous
(proceeding from natural feeling...): autonomous

Derived terms

spontaneity
spontaneously

Related terms

spontaneous combustion

Translations

self generated; happening without any apparent external cause

Assamese: স্বতঃস্ফুৰ্ট (sotosphurt)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 自发的
Czech: spontánní
Dutch: spontaan (nl)
Esperanto: spontanea, spontana (eo)
Finnish: spontaani (fi)
French: spontané (fr), volontaire (fr)
Galician: ventureiro
German: spontan (de)
Greek: αυθόρμητος (el) m (afthórmitos), εθελοντικός (el) m (ethelontikós)
Hungarian: spontán (hu)
Italian: spontaneo (it)
Latin: spontāneus

Malay: spontan
Norwegian:
Bokmål: spontan (no)
Nynorsk: spontan
Polish: spontaniczny (pl) m, samorzutny (pl) m (physics, chemistry)
Portuguese: espontâneo (pt)
Romanian: spontan (ro) m
Russian: спонта́нный (ru) (spontánnyj), самопроизво́льный (ru) (samoproizvólʹnyj)
Serbo-Croatian: spȍntān (sh)
Spanish: espontáneo (es)
Swedish: spontan (sv)
Tagalog: kusa (tl)
Turkish: kendiliğinden (tr), spontan (tr)

done by one's own free choice, or without planning

Czech: spontánní
Finnish: spontaani (fi), oma-aloitteinen (fi), omaehtoinen
French: spontané (fr)
Galician: espontáneo m
German: spontan (de)
Greek: αυθόρμητος (el) m (afthórmitos), αβίαστος (el) m (avíastos)
Hungarian: spontán (hu)
Italian: spontaneo (it) m

Polish: spontaniczny (pl) m
Portuguese: espontâneo (pt)
Romanian: spontan (ro) m
Russian: доброво́льный (ru) (dobrovólʹnyj)
Scottish Gaelic: saor-thoileach
Serbo-Croatian: spȍntān (sh)
Swedish: spontan (sv)

proceeding from natural feeling or native tendency without external constraint

Assamese: সহজাত (xohozat)
Czech: spontánní
French: spontané (fr)

Greek: αυθόρμητος (el) m (afthórmitos), πηγαίος (el) m (pigaíos), ενστικτώδης (el) m (enstiktódis)
Serbo-Croatian: spȍntān (sh)
Swedish: spontan (sv)

arising from a momentary impulse

Czech: impulzivní
Finnish: impulsiivinen (fi)
French: impulsif (fr)

Greek: παρορμητικός (el) m (parormitikós), αυθόρμητος (el) m (afthórmitos)
Serbo-Croatian: spȍntān (sh), ȉmpulzīvan (sh)
Swedish: spontan (sv)

controlled and directed internally

French: réflexe (fr)
Greek: ακούσιος (el) m (akoúsios)

Swedish: reflexmässig

produced without being planted or without human labor

Finnish: luonnollinen (fi)
French: indigène (fr), endémique (fr)

Galician: ventureiro m, ventureira f

not apparently contrived or manipulated

Finnish: spontaani (fi)
French: naturel (fr), spontané (fr)

Greek: αυθόρμητος (el) m (afthórmitos), φυσικός (el) m (fysikós)

random — see random

sudden, without warning

Finnish: yllättävä (fi), äkillinen (fi)
French: soudain (fr)
Greek: ξαφνικός (el) m (xafnikós)
Hungarian: spontán (hu)

Norwegian:
Bokmål: plutselig (no) m or f or n
Nynorsk: plutseleg m or f or n
Persian: خود جوش، داوطلبانه، ناگهانی‎

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

Dutch: ^{(please verify)} spontaan (nl)

Spanish: ^{(please verify)} espontáneo (es)