complicity

noun

com·​plic·​i·​ty kəm-ˈpli-s(ə-)tē How to pronounce complicity (audio)
plural complicities
1
: association or participation in or as if in a wrongful act
arrested for complicity in the crime
2
: an instance of complicity
The two share a complicity she calls fraternal.Joan Dupont

Examples of complicity in a Sentence

There's no proof of her complicity in the murder. He acted with his brother's complicity.
Recent Examples on the Web That sense of complicity between the brand and the women wearing it has been very strong over the years, but particularly during Phoebe’s tenure. Mark Holgate, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 The United Nations’ primary aid agency in Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA, which Israel accuses of complicity with Hamas and fostering hatred of Jews, would be disbanded and replaced. Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Today’s diplomatic complicity in the catastrophic human rights and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is the culmination of years of erosion of the international rule of law and global human rights system. Agnès Callamard, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2024 But all that said, the interpretation of the Circuit panel’s one-page order as complicity in a politicized rush to judgment is mistaken. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024 People of all ages came in support of the council resolution while waving Palestinian flags, holding protest signs, chanting slogans against Israel, and painting their hands red to indicate complicity in the war. Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2024 Even if the potential donation is only a few dollars – too small to make any difference to the organization’s operations – that money would express a degree of complicity in that behavior, or perhaps even an endorsement. Trevor Hedberg, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024 Many analysts regard his potential win as a serious threat to Indonesia’s young democracy: in the final years of Suharto’s dictatorship, Prabowo was credibly accused of complicity in major human rights abuses. Ben Bland, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024 There’s obviously a push toward either silence or complicity. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complicity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French complicité, borrowed from New Latin complicitāt-, complicitās, formed from Late Latin complic-, complex "fellow-participant, partner, accomplice" and Latin -itāt-, -itās -ity, probably after Late Latin duplicitās duplicity — more at complice

Note: The formation of the word is peculiar in that Latin -itāt-, -itās, along with its descendants and borrowings, is rarely added to nouns. Outside of the dictionaries of Thomas Blount and Elisha Coles, complicity is rare to non-existent in English text before the later eighteenth century, when its adoption was probably stimulated by French complicité.

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of complicity was circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near complicity

Cite this Entry

“Complicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complicity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

complicity

noun
com·​plic·​i·​ty kəm-ˈplis-ət-ē How to pronounce complicity (audio)
plural complicities
: association or participation in a wrongful act

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