accomplice
Americannoun
noun
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
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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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.
The first lady said she never had a relationship with Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 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
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
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
Though he found no concrete evidence of arson, Cowie believed Holmes or an accomplice had started the fire.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
