accomplice

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1580s. From Middle English accomplice, from a complice, from Old French complice (“confederate”), from Latin complicare (“fold together”). The article a became part of the word, through the influence of the word accomplish.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ə.ˈkʌm.plɪs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ə.ˈkɑm.pləs/, /ə.ˈkɑm.plɪs/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ac‧com‧plice

Noun

accomplice (plural accomplices)

1. (law) An associate in the commission of a crime; a participator in an offense, whether a principal or an accessory.
   • Johnson

     And thou, the cursed accomplice of his treason.

   • John Dryden

     suspected for accomplice to the fire

2. (rare) A cooperator.
   • William Shakespeare, Henry VI Part I, V-ii

     Success unto our valiant general, And happiness to his accomplices!

Usage notes

• Followed by with or of before a person and by in (or sometimes of) before the crime; as, A was an accomplice with B in the murder of C. Dryden uses it with to before a thing.

Synonyms

• abettor, accessory, assistant, associate, confederate, coadjutor, ally, promoter; see abettor.

Translations

cooperator

• Catalan: còmplice m, f
• Dutch: handlanger (nl) m
• Finnish: apulainen (fi), apuri (fi); kätyri (fi)
• French: complice (fr) m, f
• German: Mitarbeiter (de) m, Mittäter (de) m, Partner (de) m, Handlanger (de) m, Helfer (de) m
• Italian: complice (it) m, collaboratore (it) m, basista (it) m, coadiuvante (it) m
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can

• Macedonian: соу́чесник m (soúčesnik), соизвр́шител m (soizvŕšitel)
• Persian: شریک‎‎ (fa) (šarik)
• Portuguese: cúmplice (pt) m, f
• Russian: помощник (ru) m (pomoščnik)
• Spanish: cómplice (es) m, f
• Swedish: medhjälpare (sv) c

associate in the commission of a crime

• Bulgarian: съуча́стник (bg) m (sǎučástnik)
• Catalan: còmplice m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 幫兇 (zh), 帮凶 (zh) (bāngxiōng)

• Czech: spolupachatel m, spoluviník m, komplic m
• Dutch: medeplichtige (nl) m, f, handlanger (nl) m
• Esperanto: kunkulpulo, kunkulpulino
• Finnish: osallinen (fi), rikokseen osallinen (principal or accessory); rikoksentekijä (principal); avunantaja (accessory)
• French: complice (fr) m, f, comparse (fr) m, compère (fr) m
• German: Mittäter (de) m, Mittäterin f, Komplize (de) m, Komplizin (de) f
• Greek: συνεργός (el) m (synergós)
• Hungarian: bűnrészes (hu), bűntárs (hu), cinkos (hu)
• Interlingua: Complice
• Irish: comhchoirí m
• Italian: complice (it) m, f, correo (it) m, correa f, basista (it) m

• Japanese: 共犯者 (きょうはんしゃ, kyōhansha)
• Korean: 공범 (ko) (gongbeom)
• Macedonian: соу́чесник m (soúčesnik), соизвр́шител m (soizvŕšitel)
• Norwegian: medskyldig
• Persian: شریک جرم‎‎ (šarik-e jorm)
• Portuguese: cúmplice (pt) m, f
• Russian: соуча́стник (ru) m (součástnik), соуча́стница (ru) f (součástnica), соо́бщник (ru) m (soóbščnik), соо́бщница (ru) f (soóbščnica), посо́бник (ru) m (posóbnik), посо́бница (ru) f (posóbnica), подельник (ru) (podelʹnik), приспешник (ru) (prispešnik), клеврет (ru) (klevret)
• Slovene: sokrivec m, sokrivka f
• Spanish: cómplice (es) m, f
• Swedish: medbrottsling (sv), medskyldig c
• Tagalog: kasabwat
• Telugu: తోడుదొంగ (te) (tōḍudoṅga)
• Volapük: (♂♀) kedöban, (♂) hikedöban, (♀) jikedöban
• Welsh: acwmplydd m