1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
those unknowing people who think that the world is a kindly place are in for a rude awakening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unaware
not informed about or aware of something
the poor woman has been the unknowing target of some pretty vicious gossip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unknowing
Was this teacher an unknowing servant of the patriarchy, as Kara Cooney would argue, or a naïve propagandist of the oil industry, as Riggs herself comes to believe?
—
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See all Example Sentences for unknowing 
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022
Obviously, Beth’s unknowing sterilization was a tragic event, a violation of bodily autonomy that nobody should go through.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2021
Their names and emails can then be used by bad actors to target them in various email schemes that can harm unknowing customers.
—Daniel Barber, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2021
Cybercriminals sent phishing emails to millions of users hoping an unknowing individual would open the malicious document.
—Jonathan Fischbein, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2021
See all Example Sentences for unknowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unknowing
Adjective
-
Dimon went on to say that the United States needed to avoid being naive and allowing larger global events to play out without any intervention.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
-
In a bloody good mix of horror comedy and murder mystery, Sam Richardson plays a naive but good-hearted forest ranger new to a small Vermont town out to catch a killer (who may or may not be a werewolf) among the various kooky residents. 55.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Trump might be unaware of this or indifferent to it.Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
-
That's on top of a relentless campaign schedule that has seemingly left barely any residents here unaware of who their candidates are.Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
The message was clear: Even if your group is defined by targeting innocent people, the Biden-Harris White House will bestow the same legitimacy upon you as any nation-state by granting you a seat at the negotiating table.Pat Fallon, National Review, 3 Nov. 2024
-
Investigators believe the two men who were injured were innocent bystanders, police said.Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Donald Trump, so ignorant of the past and so careless about the future, is a present-tense kind of candidate.Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
-
Was an ancient reptile, for all intents and purposes a 15-million-year-old dinosaur, actually roaming this expanse of creosote scrub, subsisting on beavertail cactus flesh, going about her day ignorant of the weather alerts, the headlines, the untold human tragedies?Outside Online, Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
If peace has always been but a simple voluntary choice, the price of human imperfection has been paid in the coin of perpetual war.Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
-
Or that a different definition will make a theory simpler.Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
As much as parents may think their children are oblivious, research shows kids, including very young ones, are paying attention.Vox Staff, Vox, 6 Nov. 2024
-
However, people were oblivious of its presence on Guam until 1953, and still unaware of its deadly rapid spread until much later.Scott Travers, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
In the play, four closers compete to sell worthless properties to unsuspecting customers.Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2024
-
Now, the brand is opening its first dining concept in the UK—at an unsuspecting location.Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unknowing
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share