accomplice
An accomplice is a person who helps someone else do something wrong or illegal.
Explanation at your level:
An accomplice is a helper. If someone does something bad, the person who helps them is the accomplice. It is like a team, but for bad things.
When two people do a crime together, the one who is not the leader is called an accomplice. They help the leader do the bad thing.
An accomplice is someone who assists in a crime. Even if they didn't break the window, if they held the ladder, they are an accomplice.
In legal terms, an accomplice shares responsibility for an act. It is a specific noun used to identify the secondary participant in illegal activities.
The term accomplice carries a heavy weight of moral and legal culpability. It implies a shared intent and a collaborative effort in the commission of a transgression.
Etymologically linked to the concept of being 'entwined' with another, accomplice denotes a deep-seated connection in wrongdoing. It is frequently employed in literary and forensic discourse to delineate the degree of involvement between co-conspirators.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Person who helps in a crime
- Legal term
- Formal register
- Countable noun
Think of an accomplice as a partner-in-crime. It is not just someone who happens to be there when something goes wrong; it is someone who actively chooses to help with a dishonest or illegal task.
You will mostly hear this word in detective shows or news reports about crimes. It implies that there is a main person doing the deed, but they had help from someone else who provided tools, information, or support.
The word accomplice has a fascinating history. It comes from the Middle English word complice, which meant an associate or partner.
Interestingly, the 'a' at the beginning was added later, likely because people confused it with the word 'accomplish.' It traces back to the Latin word complex, meaning 'closely connected' or 'entwined.' It shows how language evolves to group people together based on their actions.
You use accomplice when talking about negative situations. It is almost always used in a legal, criminal, or at least very mischievous context.
Common phrases include arrested as an accomplice or alleged accomplice. It is a formal word, so you wouldn't use it to describe a friend helping you bake a cake—that would be an 'assistant' or 'partner'.
While 'accomplice' itself isn't an idiom, it is often associated with phrases like partner in crime, which is a playful way to describe a close friend. Another is accessory to the fact, which is the legal way to say someone helped after the crime happened.
You might also hear in cahoots, meaning working together secretly, or thick as thieves, describing people who are very close and likely plotting something.
The word is a standard countable noun. You can have an accomplice or many accomplices.
Pronunciation-wise, it sounds like 'uh-KOM-pliss.' The stress is on the second syllable. It rhymes with words like 'miss' or 'bliss' at the end, but the 'kom' sound is the most important part to get right.
Fun Fact
The 'a' was added due to a mistake.
Pronunciation Guide
uh-KOM-pliss
uh-KAHM-pliss
Common Errors
- mispronouncing the 'p'
- stressing the first syllable
- forgetting the 's' sound at the end
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
easy
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Noun usage
He is an accomplice.
Examples by Level
He was an accomplice in the crime.
He helped in the crime.
Use 'an' before accomplice.
The police caught the robber and his accomplice.
She was accused of being an accomplice.
He denied being an accomplice to the theft.
The accomplice waited in the getaway car.
They were both accomplices in the prank.
The judge sentenced the accomplice to prison.
Who was the accomplice in this plan?
The accomplice turned himself in.
The accomplice provided the key to the office.
He was charged as an accomplice to the murder.
The detective looked for the accomplice's fingerprints.
She acted as an accomplice without realizing it.
The accomplice fled the scene immediately.
He betrayed his accomplice to get a lighter sentence.
The lawyer argued that his client was not an accomplice.
The accomplice was hiding in the basement.
The mastermind and his accomplice were apprehended at the border.
The prosecution proved that he was a willing accomplice.
Her role as an accomplice made her equally liable.
The accomplice was sentenced to five years of probation.
They were accomplices in a sophisticated fraud scheme.
The witness identified the accomplice in the lineup.
He claimed he was an unwitting accomplice to the heist.
The accomplice kept watch while the safe was opened.
The accomplice was instrumental in the execution of the crime.
He sought to distance himself from his former accomplice.
The court found substantial evidence of his status as an accomplice.
An accomplice is just as guilty as the perpetrator in many jurisdictions.
The conspiracy involved the perpetrator and two accomplices.
The accomplice's testimony was crucial to the trial.
They were accomplices in a long-standing embezzlement ring.
The accomplice was eventually tracked down in a remote village.
The narrative depicts the protagonist as an unwilling accomplice to the regime's atrocities.
His complicity as an accomplice was masked by a veneer of innocence.
The legal definition of an accomplice requires proof of shared criminal intent.
The accomplice served as the primary informant for the authorities.
The intricate web of accomplices made the investigation difficult.
He was labeled an accomplice by association rather than action.
The accomplice's role was to obfuscate the trail of evidence.
The trial highlighted the moral decay of both the perpetrator and the accomplice.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"partner in crime"
a close friend who joins in mischief
She is my partner in crime.
casualEasily Confused
similar sound
accomplish is to finish a task, accomplice is a person.
I will accomplish my goal vs He is my accomplice.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + was an accomplice to + Noun
He was an accomplice to the robbery.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
6
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
Accomplice implies something illegal or wrong.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
A-COMP-LICE: A COMPany of LICE (bad things) working together.
Visual Association
Two masked people running with a bag.
Word Web
Challenge
Write a story about a heist.
Word Origin
Middle English / Latin
Original meaning: associate
Cultural Context
None, but implies criminal behavior.
Used heavily in legal and media contexts.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Courtroom
- The accomplice testified.
Conversation Starters
"Have you ever seen a movie about an accomplice?"
Journal Prompts
Write a story about a heist from the accomplice's perspective.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 questionsYes, legally speaking, they are responsible for the crime.
Test Yourself
The thief had an ___.
Accomplice is the person who helps in a crime.
What does an accomplice do?
Accomplice is a helper in wrongdoing.
Score: /2
Summary
An accomplice is a partner in a bad or illegal act.
- Person who helps in a crime
- Legal term
- Formal register
- Countable noun
Context is Key
Only use this word for bad deeds.
Example
He wasn't the one who broke into the house, but he was an accomplice because he held the ladder.
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