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
What emerges is an unwitting communication, signs of a separation needing to be bridged.
—
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Turning low-income Americans into political pawns Despite the ACP’s popularity, routine congressional gridlock and the politics of an election year have turned low-income Americans into unwitting — and in many cases unwilling — pawns in a much larger battle.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
The government has acknowledged that Mexican drug-smuggling groups sometimes use the vehicles of unwitting victims — such as students or workers who cross the border at routine and predictable times — but maintain that such cases are rare.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024
The unusual situation where the two inmates could speak to each other while detained was designed by law enforcement purposely to record conversations between the unwitting defendants.
—Greg Fisher, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024
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
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Turning low-income Americans into political pawns Despite the ACP’s popularity, routine congressional gridlock and the politics of an election year have turned low-income Americans into unwitting — and in many cases unwilling — pawns in a much larger battle.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024
The government has acknowledged that Mexican drug-smuggling groups sometimes use the vehicles of unwitting victims — such as students or workers who cross the border at routine and predictable times — but maintain that such cases are rare.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024
The unusual situation where the two inmates could speak to each other while detained was designed by law enforcement purposely to record conversations between the unwitting defendants.
—Greg Fisher, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024
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
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 Apr. 2024.
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Kids 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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