Word
unwitting
Phoneticsun·wit·ting, stress on the second syllable
US/ənˈwɪtɪŋ/
UK/ʌnwˈɪtɪŋ/
Definition
adj. not knowing that you are part of something, often something wrong or secret. You do it by accident, without planning or meaning to.
adj. unaware of the full facts of a situation, especially one's own involvement in it. Often describes a person, action, or error that is unintentional rather than deliberate.
Examples
“He becomes an unwitting helper in their plan.”
“She was an unwitting carrier of the virus, showing no symptoms while passing it to others.”
“The retired clerk became the unwitting guardian of letters that would later rewrite the town's understanding of its wartime past.”
Examples
simple
“He becomes an unwitting helper in their plan.”
contextual
“She was an unwitting carrier of the virus, showing no symptoms while passing it to others.”
complex
“The retired clerk became the unwitting guardian of letters that would later rewrite the town's understanding of its wartime past.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “unwitting” in context.
Verb
01. appear unwitting
“The manager appeared unwitting of the bribery happening in his team.”
verb + adj
02. become unwitting
“Staff became unwitting accomplices by forwarding the phishing emails.”
verb + adj
03. remain unwitting
“Investors remained unwitting of the risks hidden in the complex funds.”
verb + adj
04. unwitting facilitate
“The unwitting clerk facilitated the breach by sharing her login details.”
adj + verb
Adjective
05. entirely unwitting
“He was entirely unwitting of the plot to use his account for fraud.”
adv + adj
Noun
06. unwitting accomplice
“He became an unwitting accomplice in the money-laundering scheme.”
adj + noun
07. an unwitting victim of fraud
“The elderly man was an unwitting victim of fraud for over a year.”
08. be an unwitting pawn in
“She was an unwitting pawn in a wider political power struggle.”
09. become an unwitting accomplice
“By carrying the package, he became an unwitting accomplice to smuggling.”
10. play an unwitting part in
“He played an unwitting part in smuggling the documents abroad.”
11. provide unwitting assistance to
“The firm provided unwitting assistance to hackers through weak security.”
12. remain unwitting of
“They remained unwitting of the surveillance operation around them.”
Usage
Typically placed before the noun it modifies.
Real-World Examples
“The image, here, is being shared with a caption that suggests the sleeping man suffered a cardiac arrest and died, and his unwitting colleagues had gathered for a prank photo.” Etymology
From Middle English unwittinge, unwitand, from Old English unwitende (“unwitting; not knowing; unaware; unconscious”), from Proto-Germanic *unwitandz (“not knowing”), equivalent to un- + witting. Cognate with West Frisian ûnwittend, Dutch onwetend, German Low German unwetend, German unwissend and unwissentlich, Icelandic óvitandi.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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