unwitting
Americanadjective
-
not intentional or deliberate; inadvertent; accidental.
His insult, though unwitting, pained her.
-
not knowing; unaware; ignorant; oblivious; unconscious.
an unwitting person.
adjective
-
not knowing or conscious
-
not intentional; inadvertent
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
The marauding monkeys brazenly snatch ice cream, cakes and crisps from unwitting tourists in addition to gobbling abandoned leftovers from bins or food directly offered to them.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Lowery has little interest in pitying Mother Mary or making her the unwitting victim of the pop star industrial complex.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
Prime Video’s award-winning series returns with a new unwitting hero, who is hired as a temp at a hot sauce company — gentle, funny pranks ensue.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
Experts say similar AI tools are being used to create deepfake audio and video of corporate executives to try to pry information out of unwitting employees.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
It turned out I’d played an unwitting role in this decision.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
