accomplice
- 01 C1 Advanced
someone who helps another person commit a crime or do something illegal.
an associate in the commission of a crime, whether acting as a principal or an accessory.
Simple“The police are still looking for the driver who acted as an accomplice in the robbery.”
In context“The prosecution argued that the defendant was not merely a bystander but a willing accomplice who provided the necessary blueprints for the heist.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'to' (an accomplice to the murder) or 'in' (an accomplice in the crime).
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
a person who helps someone with a task, usually one that is slightly bad or secret.
a cooperator or associate in a non-criminal but perhaps questionable activity.
Simple“He found a willing accomplice in his brother when it came to playing pranks on their neighbors.”
In context“In his later memoirs, the author refers to his editor as a faithful accomplice in the subversion of traditional literary forms.”
Teacher's tipThis non-criminal sense is rare in modern English; learners should primarily use the word in legal or criminal contexts.
First attested in 1550. From a complice, from Middle English complice, from Old French complice (“confederate”), from Latin complicāre (“fold together”). The article a became part of the word, through the influence of the word accomplish.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.