accomplice

noun

ac·​com·​plice ə-ˈkäm-pləs  -ˈkəm- 

: one associated with another especially in wrongdoing

was convicted as an accomplice to murder

Synonyms of accomplice

• henchman
• cohort
• partner
• accessory
• abettor
• informant
• informer
• companion

Examples of accomplice in a Sentence

He was convicted as an accomplice to murder.

the thief and his accomplices were eventually caught and brought to justice

Recent Examples on the Web

There were few documents, other than reports that had long been in the public record, such as flight logs, police reports and pages from the DOJ’s investigation into the case previously revealed in the 2021 trial of Epstein’s accomplice and ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. —Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 20 Dec. 2025

About one minute later, Sajid has rejoined his accomplice on the bridge. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

The legislation gave the attorney general 30 days to publicly release documents related to Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, the government's investigations into both and internal records about the cases. —Joe Walsh, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025

Even as the Deliriant and his pint-size accomplice attempt to hoodwink a monster, they’re left to wonder, poignantly, if anything in their duplicitous world is real. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Anglo-French acomplice, alteration of complice "associate" — more at complice

Note: The source of initial a(c)- is unclear. The earlier notion that a- represents fusion of the indefinite article cannot be maintained given the much earlier occurrences of the word in Anglo-French (in a 1384 petition of the Drapers guild, and in vol. 2 of the Rotuli Parliamentorum [1279-1377]). The suggestion that complice has been assimilated to accomplir, "to fulfill, etc.," (see accomplish) is not very compelling semantically.

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

accomplice

noun

ac·​com·​plice ə-ˈkäm-pləs  -ˈkəm- 

: someone associated with another in wrongdoing

Legal Definition

accomplice

noun

ac·​com·​plice ə-ˈkäm-pləs, -ˈkəm- 

: one who intentionally and voluntarily participates with another in a crime by encouraging or assisting in the commission of the crime or by failing to prevent it though under a duty to do so

the accomplice of the burglar

an accomplice in a robbery

Etymology

alteration (from incorrect division of a complice) of complice, from Middle French, associate, from Late Latin complic- complex partner, confederate