unbidden

[ uhn-bid-n ]

adjective

1. not ordered or commanded; spontaneous.
2. not asked or summoned; uninvited.

unbidden

/ ʌnˈbɪdən /

adjective

1. not ordered or commanded; voluntary or spontaneous
2. not invited or asked

Word History and Origins

Origin of unbidden¹

before 1050; Middle English unbiden, Old English unbēden. See un- ¹, bidden

Example Sentences

It all came back unbidden, she said, as she was playing with her own daughter.

From Los Angeles Times

Lyrical scraps would flash unbidden, like hallucinations, in the decades to follow.

From New York Times

“You fight hard, but at the end of the day you want to make sure you treat each other with respect,” said Hutchinson, who suggested Biden’s unbidden apology reflected “the good parts of American politics.”

From Los Angeles Times

"Those with the syndrome experience frequent unbidden intrusive memories of the traumatic event."

From Salon

And later in the film, when a few girlfriends drop by, the rampant male nudity and unbidden groping starts to feel less like “goofing around” and more like criminal assault.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• active
• amenable
• eager
• enthusiastic
• happy
• inclined
• pleased
• prepared
• prone
• responsible