unwittingly
Americanadverb
-
without meaning to; unintentionally.
Users who visit infected websites could unwittingly download malware that steals information in their computers.
-
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.
Etymology
Origin of unwittingly
Explanation
When you do something unwittingly, you don't do it on purpose. It's completely accidental or unintentional, like when you unwittingly offended the Queen by not curtseying properly. If you know exactly what you're doing, you're not doing it unwittingly; you're doing it intentionally. This adverb comes from unwitting and its Old English root unwitende, "ignorant." Wit means "knowledge," so if you do something unwittingly, you act without knowledge. If you post too much personal information online, you might unwittingly set yourself up to have your identity stolen.
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.
By laughing at robots, am I unwittingly participating in that effort?
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
The lawsuit alleges people wearing the smart glasses were unwittingly transmitting data to Meta whenever they used Meta AI by saying “Hey Meta,” or sometimes accidentally when adjusting the glasses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
If you unwittingly order something with iceberg lettuce on it, such as a burger, physically removing the lettuce will reduce the risk of contamination, Shumaker said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
He is cunning, not intelligent — something he unwittingly proves every time he claims that passing a basic mental competency test shows his brilliance.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
At one point, Asta whispered, “Look at Pan,” and Malcolm noticed that the little dæmon, kitten-shaped, was unwittingly kneading the flesh of Malcolm’s hand with his tiny claws.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
