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
That 1968 Roman Polanski horror film casts a long shadow over They Will Kill You, which also involves unwitting victims, eccentric neighbors, heinous rituals, and hell’s landlord.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2026
The unvaccinated parts of America could find themselves, like Germany, one unwitting traveler away from an outbreak of a horror from the history books.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
In order to rectify the situation, Gloria plans to confront her unwitting adversary at a local trivia night, where Kaylinn is playing host.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Critics accused him of being an unwitting participant in a Chinese soft power campaign.
—Ashish Valentine, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwitting
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2026
The unvaccinated parts of America could find themselves, like Germany, one unwitting traveler away from an outbreak of a horror from the history books.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
In order to rectify the situation, Gloria plans to confront her unwitting adversary at a local trivia night, where Kaylinn is playing host.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Critics accused him of being an unwitting participant in a Chinese soft power campaign.
—Ashish Valentine, NPR, 13 Mar. 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 29 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
