accomplice
Americannoun
-
accomplices
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing accomplice
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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:
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
As he is played by the most charming man in television, we are instinctively on his side — and Lucky loves him, even though he made her, still a child, an accomplice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Could he have had an accomplice secretly conveying perfect computer-generated moves?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 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
No one in the house knew that Powell had an accomplice waiting in the wings.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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
Bušić and his accomplices were taken into custody by Parisian authorities and then sent to the United States.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Democratic lawmakers heard how Epstein and his accomplices evaded accountability for years, and how victims were repeatedly failed by the justice system.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Bryant, who was identified by DNA testing, did not name his accomplices, media present in the courtroom reported Monday.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
In the days to follow, newly sworn-in President Johnson left it to Stanton to bring Lincoln's killer and his accomplices to justice.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
