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
Synonyms
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
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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.
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Kids 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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