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

Other than the cool trophies and the Diamondbacks trampling, the most notable show Thursday was unwittingly staged by Dodger Stadium itself.

From Los Angeles Times

And, as much as I hate to unwittingly side with network executives, a new iteration that featured Gellar as anything other than its shining star wouldn’t have the dynamism of the original series.

From Salon

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who also made 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie together, Project Hail Mary follows a former molecular biologist who unwittingly embarks on an important intergalactic mission.

From BBC

As AI-assisted writing spreads, prose quality becomes a weaker signal of case quality—and firms that equate “well written” with “more legitimate” may be unwittingly favoring AI-assisted complaints.

From The Wall Street Journal

One of the reasons it’s hard to accept fandom is because it’s not you — it’s your art, it’s the persona that’s been projected on you, a persona you’ve curated for yourself, wittingly or unwittingly.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accidentally
• unintentionally