unwittingly

American  

[uhn-wit-ing-lee] / ʌnˈwɪt ɪŋ li /

adverb

1. without meaning to; unintentionally.

   Users who visit infected websites could unwittingly download malware that steals information in their computers.

2. through ignorance; through lack of knowledge or awareness.

   A number of women have been unwittingly lured into this scheme by being told they were working on a very important project.

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Etymology

Origin of unwittingly

unwitting ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

At the opposite extreme is secretive adoption, which unwittingly keeps innovation underground.

From Barron's

To avoid starvation, Italian city states traded with grain producers around the Black Sea, unwittingly enabling the deadly bacterium to gain a foothold in Europe.

From BBC

There was a comical incident when he turned the focus knob and unwittingly brought the face of a distant woolly sheep into close-up view.

From Literature

The title is not exactly accurate as it applies to Snook’s character or Jenny, played by Fanning, the other parent unwittingly drawn into this nightmare scenario.

From Los Angeles Times

Former audio programmer Isaac Hudd says "mistakes started piling up" during crunch, and says "regressions", where one team would fix a bug only for another to unwittingly bring it back to life, became increasingly common.

From BBC

Related Words

• accidentally
• unintentionally