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
In light of the past week’s fixations, I’m tempted to think of the New York essay as an unwitting wrench in the conservative dogma uniting those other two pet controversies.
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
In another encouraging sign, the bot was unable to talk people out of beliefs in conspiracies that were actually true, such as the CIA’s covert MK-Ultra project that used unwitting subjects to test whether drugs, torture or brainwashing could enhance interrogations.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2024
The new tactics — including infiltrating legitimate media sites and tapping unwitting American influencers — are now Russia's preferred way to boost engagement online, officials say.
—Sam Sabin, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
In the wake of the bombshell indictment suggesting their unwitting involvement in spreading disinformation, some of the commentators associated with Tenet Media have posted responses on social media.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unwitting 
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
In another encouraging sign, the bot was unable to talk people out of beliefs in conspiracies that were actually true, such as the CIA’s covert MK-Ultra project that used unwitting subjects to test whether drugs, torture or brainwashing could enhance interrogations.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2024
The new tactics — including infiltrating legitimate media sites and tapping unwitting American influencers — are now Russia's preferred way to boost engagement online, officials say.
—Sam Sabin, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
In the wake of the bombshell indictment suggesting their unwitting involvement in spreading disinformation, some of the commentators associated with Tenet Media have posted responses on social media.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unwitting
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Unwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwitting. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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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