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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Even Portugal, who have been naive defensively but have considerable pace in attack, could threaten in transition, and Italy will need to shore up that element of their game to avoid being caught out.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
-
So, the whole thing just seems naive from people who’ve been oppressed by this murderous regime for 46 years.—
Fiction Non Fiction
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Rice was apparently unaware that a few hours earlier, at 1:14 A.M., the Austin-San Antonio office of the National Weather Service had sent a flash-flood warning for south-central Kerr County.—
John Seabrook,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
-
They are bound to be unaware of their habit-forming training, which is simply a consequence of their working routinely with AI. Unsettling, for sure.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian head scarf, at an event celebrating Arab Heritage Month was inflammatory of Johnson in the political environment following the massacre of innocent Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 July 2025
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Attorneys have also raised concerns about the increase in arrests of people with pending charges, who are presumed innocent, and disrupting their ability to mount a defense.—
Eva Wen,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Yet Americans are surprisingly ignorant about our past.—
John C. Goodman,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Residents are far from ignorant of Michigan’s law on train blockages.—
Ayah Imran,
Freep.com,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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Looking for their environmental DNA in scales, slime or skin cells that living beings shed all the time is a simpler way, Workman said.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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The simple solution is wearing regular ballet flats, whether they’re made from leather, satin, or something else.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Note that the chart’s focus is exclusively on the trade in goods, oblivious to the global trade in services.—
Robert Goulder,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
-
She’s been in the news a lot for tone-deaf or oblivious comments.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
In 2006, 25-year-old chef Gabriel Rucker opened an unsuspecting French bistro in Portland’s East side and Malek says, overnight people were obsessed.—
Anna Haines,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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They’re mentioned first in the Odyssey and Argonautica as bird-like women with alluring voices, waiting upon jagged rocks to draw unsuspecting sailors to a dismal, watery end with their song.—
Kalie Cassidy
July 25,
Literary Hub,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unknowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unknowing. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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