abet

verb

\ ə-ˈbet

abetted; abetting

Definition of abet

1 : to actively second and encourage (something, such as an activity or plan) abet the commission of a crime

2 : to assist or support (someone) in the achievement of a purpose The singer was abetted by a skillful accompanist. especially : to assist, encourage, instigate, or support with criminal intent in attempting or carrying out a crime —often used in the phrase aid and abet accused of aiding and abetting a criminal

Other Words from abet Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about abet

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Choose the Right Synonym for abet

incite, instigate, abet, foment mean to spur to action. incite stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating. inciting a riot instigate definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention. instigated a conspiracy abet implies both assisting and encouraging. aiding and abetting the enemy foment implies persistence in goading. fomenting rebellion

Examples of abet in a Sentence

She abetted the thief in his getaway. Did he abet the commission of a crime? Their actions were shown to abet terrorism.

Recent Examples on the Web

Along the way, this backdoor process has been abetted by Republican complacency, with the Affordable Clean Energy rule being just the latest example. — Paul H. Tice, WSJ, "Trump’s Half-Measures Won’t Save the Coal Industry," 16 Sep. 2018 Salman was acquitted Friday of aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice. — Krista Torralva, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Noor Salman verdict reignites criticism of FBI's recording policy," 4 Apr. 2018 And of course his privilege had abetted his menace. — Elizabeth Angell, Town & Country, "Looking Back at the Preppy Killer Case, 30 Years Later," 26 Aug. 2016 Most of all, congressional Republicans have taken to actively abetting Trump’s various efforts to obstruct special counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry and politicize the FBI and the Department of Justice. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "There never were any “adults in the room”," 21 Dec. 2018 These days, a tenure lasting nearly a quarter century is rare; beyond a decade, critics wonder (often abetted by off-the-record carping from the players) whether the relationship is growing stale. — Allan Kozinn, WSJ, "‘George Szell: The Complete Columbia Album Collection’ Review: A Maestro’s Time in Cleveland Still Shines," 22 Aug. 2018 But women didn’t start wearing their actual underwear as outerwear until the 1980s, when the corset and bra top trend took off, with Madonna as chief instigator, aided and abetted by designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier. — Nancy Mcdonell, WSJ, "The Surprisingly Rich History of Women’s Underwear as Outerwear," 13 Nov. 2018 Enron’s impressive profits and assets turned out to be inflated, manipulated or fake, abetted by Arthur Andersen, at one time among the nation’s most respected accounting firms. — Jon Talton, The Seattle Times, "Jeff Skilling and a reminder that white-collar crime doesn’t have to pay," 4 Sep. 2018 But even if there was a confession, murder charges likely wouldn’t be filed if authorities determined the mother solicited, aided, abetted or consented to the act that led to the fetus death, the news station reported. — Crystal Hill, sacbee, "Pregnant woman had boyfriend punch her in stomach, cops say. It may not be a crime.," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for abet

Middle English abetten, borrowed from Anglo-French abeter, from a-, prefix in transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + beter "to harass (a bear with dogs), bait," borrowed from Old Low Franconian *bētan; akin to Old English bǣtan "to set upon (with animals), bait" — more at bait entry 1