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
Kilmer plays Nick Rivers, a dashing rock ’n’ roller in the Elvis Presley mold who becomes an unwitting cog in a plot to reunite Germany when he is sent to perform at a cultural festival.
—
Hank Sanders, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Greenland became an unwitting combatant, and the United States stepped in, not to conquer but to protect.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2025
Once employed by the network, federal employees could then be asked to share increasingly sensitive information about government operations or recommend additional people who might be targeted for willing or unwitting participation, the analysts said.
—Reuters, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2025
In 2018, the veteran sommelier and wine director became an unwitting casualty of an explosive cheating scandal within the Court of Master Sommeliers, the nonprofit organization that administers the elite exam.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwitting
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Hank Sanders, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Greenland became an unwitting combatant, and the United States stepped in, not to conquer but to protect.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2025
Once employed by the network, federal employees could then be asked to share increasingly sensitive information about government operations or recommend additional people who might be targeted for willing or unwitting participation, the analysts said.
—Reuters, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2025
In 2018, the veteran sommelier and wine director became an unwitting casualty of an explosive cheating scandal within the Court of Master Sommeliers, the nonprofit organization that administers the elite exam.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwitting
Cite this Entry
“Unwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwitting. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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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