unwitting
Americanadjective
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not intentional or deliberate; inadvertent; accidental.
His insult, though unwitting, pained her.
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not knowing; unaware; ignorant; oblivious; unconscious.
an unwitting person.
adjective
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not knowing or conscious
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not intentional; inadvertent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unwitting
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English unwittende; see un- 1, wit 2, -ing 2
Explanation
Use the adjective unwitting to describe someone who doesn't know certain important information, such as unwitting computer users who don't know that an online shopping site is tracking all their activity. Unwitting can also describe something you do almost automatically, like the unwitting way you double-check that the door is locked when leaving the house. It can also indicate that something is done without intention, like an unwitting arrival at a by-invitation-only event. Wit means "clever," so something that is unwitting is not clever.
Vocabulary lists containing unwitting
"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it serves as an unwitting rebuke to Chávez’s ultimate place in L.A. — a speck in a rich tapestry that was around before him and will exist long after.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
And it will preserve credibility for the most important index on the market, while keeping unwitting buyers from subsidizing a business that has not earned the right to their largesse.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
One might say it works as a commentary on incel culture, but that collapses the more Barker paints Bear as an unwitting victim of his own perfectly normal hopes and dreams.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
Mercader seduced Ageloff, who would become an unwitting pawn in the murder of one of her heroes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
His directness took her by surprise, as did his unwitting use of the Swanburne motto.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
