accomplice

American  

[uh-kom-plis] / əˈkɒm plɪs /

noun

• accomplices
  plural

1. 

   a person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing, often as a subordinate.

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accomplice British  

/ əˈkɒmplɪs, əˈkʌm- /

noun

1. a person who helps another in committing a crime

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• accomplices
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of accomplice

First recorded in 1475–85; a(c) of uncertain origin + late Middle English complice, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin complici- (stem of complex ) “partner”; see complex

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Explanation

An accomplice is a cooperator or participator, commonly in criminal acts. So you’re an accomplice to the gas station robbery if you distracted the store manager while your partner in crime raided the registers for cash. Coming from the Old French word complice, which means “a confederate,” an accomplice is an ally or partaker, sometimes in wrongdoing. Novelist Saul Bellow famously said that "when we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.” What he means, in more direct terms, is that we run potential plans by others because we're looking for approval or someone to go along with us, not because we truly want their opinion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accomplice accomplices

The BBC revealed the attacks were ordered on behalf of Russia, with an anonymous handler known as EL promising payment to Carpiuc's accomplice, Roman Lavrynovych.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

His high-profile targets went on to include the future French president Nicolas Sarkozy in 1997 -- although in that case he had an accomplice lob the actual pie for fear of being recognised.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

A Ukrainian man accused of conspiring to set fire to a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer has told a court that he refused to film the attack despite an alleged accomplice "begging" him to.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

According to the Justice Department, Do and an accomplice tried to export 292 loggerhead musk turtles to Taiwan.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026

But it required an accomplice, so Dasch had to trust that Burger would be on board.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

"From today, you will have to watch over your villages," Gombagui told around 100 local officials gathered in the village of Tibeita on a recent morning, urging them to "denounce" the prospectors and their accomplices.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Using stolen identities, AI tools and U.S. accomplices, its operatives have cheated their way into remote jobs at American companies—funneling millions of dollars back to Kim Jong Un’s regime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Using stolen identities, AI tools and U.S. accomplices, its operatives have cheated their way into remote jobs in an effort to earn money for Kim Jong Un’s regime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The court ruled he did not act alone but after Knox and Sollecito were acquitted, no other accomplices were convicted.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Therefore, he could not count on them, since they all belonged to the Orsini and Colonna families or were their accomplices.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

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Related Words

• aide
• associate
• co-conspirator
• collaborator
• conspirator

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