Word
complicity
Phoneticscom·plic·i·ty
US/kəmˈpɫɪsəti/
UK/kəmplˈɪsɪti/
Definitions
01involvement in wrongdoing
n. the act of helping someone with a crime or a bad plan.
n. involvement as an accomplice or partner in a crime or other wrongdoing. Often used with the preposition 'in'.
“The manager was fired for his complicity in the theft of company funds.”
“The investigation revealed a deep level of complicity among the local authorities, who had knowingly ignored the illegal dumping for years.”
Formal
Usage
Commonly follows the pattern 'complicity in [an act]' or 'complicity with [a person]'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02complexity
n. an old word for something that is very complicated or has many parts.
n. the state of being complex or intricate. This sense is now largely obsolete in modern English.
“The old book described the complicity of the machine's internal gears.”
“The philosopher examined the complicity of human emotions, though modern writers would now use the term complexity instead.”
Archaic
Teaching tip
This sense is archaic; learners should use 'complexity' in all modern contexts to avoid being misunderstood as referring to a crime.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Among the hot potatoes swept up in the ensuing eight episodes are misogyny, victim-blaming and social media’s complicity in harassment.” “Yet, within Ghana itself, the conversation around African complicity is far more nuanced, and for some traditional leaders, acknowledging the past is a vital prerequisite part of healing.” Etymology
From French complicité, from Middle French, from Old French complice (“accomplice”), from Late Latin complic-, stem of complex (“partner, confederate”), from Latin complicō (“fold together”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/complicity