accomplice
Americannoun
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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Tuck Everlasting
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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:
Left in the dust was the man’s accomplice, Natali Ray, a 57-year-old aspiring novelist and mom of three from England who was arrested at the scene.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 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
“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
Trent nodded at Chip, who grinned and waved innocently at me, as if he hadn’t just played accomplice to my humiliation.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Bušić and his accomplices were taken into custody by Parisian authorities and then sent to the United States.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 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
Many are believed to be eager to become “snitches” against former accomplices, including crooked politicians and cops.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
By early 2026, large majorities of Americans believed the government was withholding key information about Epstein and his alleged accomplices, and dissatisfaction with the pace and transparency of disclosures was overwhelming.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
Yes, the police, detectives, and officers had found a number of leads on Booth’s accomplices, but none led to Booth.
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.
