Istemsiz

Istemsiz is a Turkish adjective meaning lacking will or deliberate intention. It describes actions, reactions, or phenomena that occur without conscious desire or control. It is commonly translated as involuntary or unintentional. The term can modify nouns such as hareket (movement), tepki (reaction), or davranış (behavior), and can be used with the adverb istemsizce to express manner.

Etymology: Istemsiz is formed from istem, meaning desire or will, with the suffix -siz meaning without. It is related to istem dışı, which also conveys actions outside one’s will. In everyday language istemsiz emphasizes absence of volition rather than moral fault; istemsizce is the adverbial form.

Usage: Examples include istemsiz hareket (an involuntary movement) and istemsizce gülmek (to laugh involuntarily). In medical or psychological contexts istemsiz describes reflexive or uncontrollable responses. In legal or everyday discourse it can indicate actions not performed by choice. Antonyms include istemli (intentional) or bilerek (deliberately).

See also: istem dışı; istemli.