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Definition of Unwittingly - 3 dictionary results

un⋅wit⋅ting

  [uhn-wit-ing]
Use Unwittingly in a Sentence
–adjective
1. inadvertent; unintentional; accidental: His insult, though unwitting, pained her.
2. not knowing; unaware; ignorant; oblivious; unconscious: an unwitting person.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE unwittende; see un- 1 , wit 2 , -ing 2

Related forms:
un⋅wit⋅ting⋅ly, adverb
un⋅wit⋅ting⋅ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Unwittingly
un·wit·ting   (ŭn-wĭt'ĭng)   
adj.  

  1. Not knowing; unaware: an unwitting subject in an experiment.

  2. Not intended; unintentional: an unwitting admission of guilt.


[Middle English : un-, not; see un-1 + witting, present participle of witten, to know (from Old English witan; see weid- in Indo-European roots).]
un·wit'ting·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

unwitting 
O.E. unwitende, from un- (1) "not" + witting (see wit). Cf. O.H.G. unwizzanti, Ger. unwissend, O.N. uvitandi, Goth. unwitands. Rare after c.1600; revived c.1800.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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