“+ adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from un- (I) + witting, present participle of witten, witen to know — more at wit
1. : not intended : accidental , inadvertent
probable that any unwitting mistake may be overlooked or regarded as ignorance on the part of a stranger — Notes & Queries on Anthropology
2.
a. : being unaware : oblivious
carried home washings to the best families and also, her father unwitting , to … the parlor houses on alleys — Mary Ross
b. : exhibiting lack of knowledge or awareness : ignorant , unconscious
man is born the most helpless and unwitting of animals — R.M.MacIver
the lyrical impulse swollen to epical proportions produces either conscious irony or unwitting absurdity — L.A.Fiedler
• un·wit·ting·ly adverb