unwitting

adjective

un·​wit·​ting ˌən-ˈwi-tiŋ How to pronounce unwitting (audio)
1
: not knowing : unaware
kept the truth from their unwitting friends
2
: not intended : inadvertent
an unwitting mistake
unwittingly adverb

Examples of unwitting in a Sentence

He kept the truth from his unwitting friends. an unwitting victim of fraud
Recent Examples on the Web Roussel has become one of the most popular figures in French politics, in part because of his sometimes unwitting adventures in the culture wars. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Rather, as burrowing species who establish their single-spider homes underground, tarantulas sling webs to act as molting mats or as alert systems signaling whenever someone – an unwitting prey or a prospective mate – approaches their doorsteps. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 With an offhand deftness, Ceylan lays bare the sort of master operator who hides in plain sight, skilled at ensnaring unwitting victims. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 After putting in an order, the seller ships a low-quality product to an unwitting recipient. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024 Put another way, perhaps Swift is simply an unwitting emissary of our society’s subterranean urges. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 The unwitting victim opened the door and let Jung inside her home, where Jung allegedly stabbed her with a knife, police said. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 5 June 2023 There was nothing unwitting about this denial of treatment. Caitjan Gainty, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Jan. 2024 Labor contracts provided by former deckhands from fishing ships and online advertisements posted by recruiters showed how the unwitting and desperate are often targeted in schemes that amount to labor trafficking. Ian Urbina, TIME, 26 Oct. 2023

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unwitting

adjective
un·​wit·​ting ˌən-ˈwit-iŋ How to pronounce unwitting (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not intended : inadvertent
an unwitting mistake
2
: not knowing : unaware
unwittingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unwitting

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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