accessory
Americannoun
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accessories
plural
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a subordinate or supplementary part, object, or the like, used mainly for convenience, attractiveness, safety, etc., as a spotlight on an automobile or a lens cover on a camera.
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an article or set of articles of dress, as gloves, earrings, or a scarf, that adds completeness, convenience, attractiveness, etc., to one's basic outfit.
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Law.
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Also called accessory before the fact. a person who, though not present during the commission of a felony, is guilty of having aided and abetted another, who committed the felony.
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Also called accessory after the fact. a person who knowingly conceals or assists another who has committed a felony.
- Synonyms:
- accomplice
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Anatomy. accessory nerve.
adjective
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contributing to a general effect; supplementary; subsidiary.
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Law. giving aid as an accessory.
noun
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a supplementary part or object, as of a car, appliance, etc
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(often plural) a small accompanying item of dress, esp of women's dress
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a person who incites someone to commit a crime or assists the perpetrator of a crime, either before or during its commission
adjective
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supplementary; additional; subordinate
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assisting in or having knowledge of an act, esp a crime
Synonym Usage
See addition.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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accessorinessnoun
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accessorialadjective
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interaccessoryadjective
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nonaccessoryadjective
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accessorilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of accessory
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English accessorie (from Middle French ), from Medieval Latin accessōrius. See accede, -tory 1
Explanation
Whether we're talking about a fog light for your boat or just a nice hat to go with your boating outfit, an accessory is something you add to something else to make it better. An accessory can be any piece of clothing that you wear or carry as long as it isn't part of the main outfit. You can also use the word to refer to someone who helps someone else commit a crime. So the guy who distracted the old lady while another guy grabbed her purse? He was the accessory to the theft of an accessory.
Vocabulary lists containing accessory
Because of Mr. Terupt
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"An Awful Human Trade," Vocabulary from the news article
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Catching Fire
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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.
See Examples For:
I had hoped the bangs would repel him, but my new facial accessory failed to be a punctuation between us in the way I’d imagined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Meta has enlisted Kylie Jenner in its campaign to convince us that Meta Glasses are a hot girlboss accessory.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
Still, they left enough of an impression from the bars of Back Bay to the stands at Fenway Park that Boston’s hottest accessory this summer might just be a set bagpipes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
"There were things on my side that could have been looked into much sooner, rather than treating me as an accessory to the process."
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
“I wouldn’t say that. Good chance you’ll have a wonderful accessory in the next minute or so.”
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
The Gap Global segment includes apparel and accessories for men and women under the Gap brand, along with the GapKids, BabyGap, GapMaternity, GapBody, and GapFit collections.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Gap, Inc. operates as a global apparel retail company, which offers clothing, apparel, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
The upper limit for most of the items for Scenario, Walmart’s new brand of women’s clothing, bags and other accessories as it seeks to appeal to younger, trendier shoppers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Added to that is the weight of tools with multiple batteries, and the cost of accessories to hold them all.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The column on the left lists top, bottom, hijab, shoes, purse, and accessories, and the next three columns are filled in with her outfit details.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
