unwitting
adjective
un·wit·ting
ˌən-ˈwi-tiŋ 
1
: not knowing : unaware
kept the truth from their unwitting friends
2
: not intended : inadvertent
an unwitting mistake
Examples of unwitting in a Sentence
He kept the truth from his unwitting friends.
an unwitting victim of fraud
Recent Examples on the Web
An antagonist who feels himself a protagonist, Salieri is the main character of the play, and to a great extent, the film, while Mozart functions as the unwitting instrument through which Salieri loses his faith in God.
—
Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Rubin plays the cute and innocent Dottie, Cary and Luis’ younger child, who remains largely quiet amid the family’s chaos but picks her moments to chime in with the unwitting comedic timing only a small child can have.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 May 2026
That is the unhinged (complimentary) premise of Thomas Elrod’s debut, in which the fictional cult-classic epic fantasy Malicarn series is staged on an island with unwitting actors temporarily imprinted with the characters’ backstories.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
During back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal court, Jones entered guilty pleas to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in schemes to defraud major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and filch millions of dollars from unwitting poker players.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwitting
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Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Rubin plays the cute and innocent Dottie, Cary and Luis’ younger child, who remains largely quiet amid the family’s chaos but picks her moments to chime in with the unwitting comedic timing only a small child can have.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 May 2026
That is the unhinged (complimentary) premise of Thomas Elrod’s debut, in which the fictional cult-classic epic fantasy Malicarn series is staged on an island with unwitting actors temporarily imprinted with the characters’ backstories.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
During back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal court, Jones entered guilty pleas to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in schemes to defraud major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and filch millions of dollars from unwitting poker players.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwitting
Cite this Entry
“Unwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwitting. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unwitting
adjective
un·wit·ting
ˌən-ˈwit-iŋ
ˈən-
1
: not intended : inadvertent
an unwitting mistake
2
: not knowing : unaware
unwittingly
adverb
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