unwitting
Americanadjective
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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
- unwittingly adverb
- unwittingness noun
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.
“Jury Duty” which sneaked up on the world in 2023, inserted an unwitting ordinary person into a prearranged courtroom scenario otherwise populated by actors.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
But in other cases, managers may be taking advantage of unwitting investors.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026
Now unwitting spectators are yelling fault, filing noise complaints and petitions to curb playing hours that have left authorities in a pickle.
From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025
Oddly, that cigar turned out to be an unwitting premonition.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 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.
