1
chiefly dialectal
: knowledge or awareness of something : cognizance
2
chiefly dialectal
: information obtained or communicated : news
1
: cognizant or aware of something : conscious
a witting participant
2
: done deliberately : intentional
a witting violation
Examples of witting in a Sentence
Adjective
she was a witting partner; he had told her about the risk involved
your witting assistance in helping the robber escape makes you an accessory after the fact
Recent Examples on the Web
Samuel Goldman,
The Week,
21 Mar. 2022
This is, of course, an obvious imbalance and one that would seem to perpetuate a culture of victim-blaming by punishing the (witting or unwitting) distractor and not the distracted.
—
Peggy Drexler,
CNN,
26 May 2021
Today in Russia, conspiracy theories still abound about how the CIA brought down the Soviet Union and how Gorbachev was in reality an unwitting (or perhaps a witting) agent of the Americans.
—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
21 May 2019
Holman W. Jenkins,
WSJ,
29 June 2018
Another major unanswered question is whether Mueller's grand jury will charge any Americans as witting participants in the hacking and leaking scheme — including anyone associated with Trump's presidential campaign.
—
Ken Dilanian,
NBC News,
1 Mar. 2018
Harvey Weinstein built his complicity machine out of the witting, the unwitting and those in between.
—
Carina Chocano,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2018
Let’s continue: Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power.
—
Monique Judge,
The Root,
8 June 2017
Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power.
—
Leada Gore,
AL.com,
8 June 2017
Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power.
—
Megan Friedman,
Marie Claire,
7 June 2017
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Noun
Marcuse has more disciples, witting or unwitting, than Mill does these days.
—
Samuel Goldman,
The Week,
21 Mar. 2022
This is, of course, an obvious imbalance and one that would seem to perpetuate a culture of victim-blaming by punishing the (witting or unwitting) distractor and not the distracted.
—
Peggy Drexler,
CNN,
26 May 2021
Today in Russia, conspiracy theories still abound about how the CIA brought down the Soviet Union and how Gorbachev was in reality an unwitting (or perhaps a witting) agent of the Americans.
—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
21 May 2019
Adjective
These agencies, in turn, viewed Mr. Trump as a witting or unwitting Kremlin agent.
—
Holman W. Jenkins,
WSJ,
29 June 2018
Another major unanswered question is whether Mueller's grand jury will charge any Americans as witting participants in the hacking and leaking scheme — including anyone associated with Trump's presidential campaign.
—
Ken Dilanian,
NBC News,
1 Mar. 2018
Harvey Weinstein built his complicity machine out of the witting, the unwitting and those in between.
—
Carina Chocano,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2018
Let’s continue: Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power.
—
Monique Judge,
The Root,
8 June 2017
Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power.
—
Leada Gore,
AL.com,
8 June 2017
Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power.
—
Megan Friedman,
Marie Claire,
7 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Witting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witting. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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