unwitting

adjective

un·​wit·​ting ˌən-ˈwi-tiŋ How to pronounce unwitting (audio)
1
: not knowing : unaware
kept the truth from their unwitting friends
2
: not intended : inadvertent
an unwitting mistake
unwittingly adverb

Examples of unwitting in a Sentence

He kept the truth from his unwitting friends. an unwitting victim of fraud
Recent Examples on the Web Claims of a sooner-than-expected breakthrough were hailed in China as evidence that U.S. sanctions had failed to hold the company back, and local media turned Raimondo into an unwitting brand ambassador for the device. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 In both instances, the man behind the wheel drove the unwitting victim a few blocks away, assaulted her, then dropped her off in a different area, according to the reports. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023 Further complicating the case, the demolition also affects an unwitting landlord, as the Zalabanis are still paying off their loan on the home. Isabel Debre, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2023 Why yes, the face smiling beneath that shock of bleach blonde hair does belong to Tom Schwartz, Vanderpump Rules star and a witting or unwitting accomplice (litigation in the court of public opinion is ongoing) in the Scandoval drama that gripped the nation. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 13 Aug. 2023 His unwitting influences included Darian Stewart, a future Super Bowl-winning defensive back with Denver who, at 5-foot-11, unfailingly made the right decisions and played with physicality. Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2023 The dishes are inspired by each chapter of Jules Verne’s 1870 adventure novel of the same name, which chronicles the macabre underwater adventures of Captain Nemo and his unwitting prisoners aboard a handcrafted submarine. Adam Reiner, Bon Appétit, 2 Aug. 2023 Trump might merely be taking (unwitting) advantage of his own seriocomic haplessness. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 25 July 2023 Dating back at least a decade and a half, Romanian crime rings spread across the world have installed card skimmers on ATMs and card readers inside businesses, giving them the ability to clone the debit and credit cards of unwitting victims who swipe their banking cards. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unwitting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unwitting was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near unwitting

Cite this Entry

“Unwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwitting. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

unwitting

adjective
un·​wit·​ting ˌən-ˈwit-iŋ How to pronounce unwitting (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not intended : inadvertent
an unwitting mistake
2
: not knowing : unaware
unwittingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unwitting

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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