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complicit

American  
[kuhm-plis-it] / kəmˈplɪs ɪt /

adjective

  1. choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others; having complicity.

complicit British  
/ ˌkɒmˈplɪsɪt /

adjective

  1. involved with others in reprehensible or illegal activity

"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 complicit

First recorded in 1855–60; back formation from complicity

Compare meaning

How does complicit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

"We will not be complicit in something that is harmful to the world and contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of retaliation," he added in a televised address.

From Barron's

In this, they become complicit through tacit consent.

From Salon

"To my mind they too were complicit, just as complicit and I welcome the reckoning that is coming to them now."

From BBC

At the time, the source said he was "bitterly disappointed about any suggestion that Alex Salmond was complicit in not being fully aware of how his political party was being run."

From BBC

“Local law enforcement must not be complicit through silence or inaction when federal agents overstep legal and ethical boundaries,” Duarte said.

From Los Angeles Times

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.