unwitting

adjective

ˌən-ˈwi-tiŋ How to pronounce unwitting (audio)
Definition of unwittingnext
1
as in accidental
happening by chance an unwitting mistake made in copying the material

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unaware
not informed about or aware of something an unwitting accomplice to the crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unwitting Donald Trump‘s ruse of hiding in an airport catering truck to secretly switch planes and evade a potential Iranian missile, leaving unwitting reporters and some White House staffers and cabinet members in the threatened Air Force One. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026 And then there is Kerkering, an unwitting symbol for all of this. — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 One focuses on Ted as a teenage prodigy attending Harvard in the 1950s who becomes the unwitting victim of abusive experiments by his psychology professor, Henry Murray (Russell Crowe). — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Most recently, the meme-stock mania during the Covid-19 pandemic led many unwitting investors to make rash financial decisions. — David Capablanca, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unwitting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwitting
  1. accidental
  2. unaware
  3. inadvertent
  4. oblivious
  5. ignorant
Adjective
  • Related Stories This leads to… his accidental death by chainsaw.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • An accidental double touch on a penalty kick might mean the loss of a football game.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of accidental
Adjective
  • On February 14, 2024, the air force struck a tunnel in that neighborhood, targeting two senior Hamas commanders, unaware of six hostages inside.
    — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Blissfully unaware of the industry’s collective eye baggage and only concerned about her own (non-existent) dark circles is Saoirse Ronan, who Eurostar-ed her way to Paris just for the Louis Vuitton show.
    — Alice Newbold, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of unaware
Adjective
  • The bear-resistant container was invented to arrest the inadvertent cultivation of problem bears.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Stewart recalls the whirlwind five-game series that included the star breaking teammate Sue Bird’s nose with an inadvertent elbow and game-altering clutch baskets by Taurasi.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of inadvertent
Adjective
  • Atiqullah remained at midfield, oblivious, the blanket over his head.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Keeping her husband happy yet oblivious—managing his baby fever with staged fake miscarriages—only goes so far when Martha begins suffering an inexplicable illness that culminates in an impossible pregnancy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of oblivious
Adjective
  • Some people in the White House treated Jackie as a cipher, ignorant of almost everything happening.
    — Laurence Leamer, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • And in a world increasingly populated by people who are absolutely certain that everyone who disagrees with them is either ignorant or immoral, our universities could use considerably more of all three.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignorant

Browse Nearby Words

unwisely
unwitting
unwittingly
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Cite this Entry

“Unwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwitting. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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