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Synonyms

accomplice

American  
[uh-kom-plis] / əˈkɒm plɪs /

noun

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

accomplice British  
/ əˈkʌm-, əˈkɒmplɪs /

noun

  1. a person who helps another in committing a crime

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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”; complex

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“When you combine accomplice liability, felony murder, and the death penalty, it is a toxic stew,” professor Maria Kolar, of Oklahoma City University School of Law, told me.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

Some of them were genuine certificates supplied by an accomplice working as a technician at an airline, but with details altered on his home computer.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

At first, Zamora was helped by an accomplice, a technician for Portugal’s national flag carrier TAP—the company that would ultimately uncover the scam.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

The public was again denied vital information about Epstein’s criminal network when his longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, refused to answer questions from Congress on Monday.

From Salon • Feb. 10, 2026

The uniform makes him an accomplice in everything this girl hates.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.