Complicit
/kəmˈplɪsɪt/noun
Involved with others in wrongdoing, often by helping conceal it.
Did you know?Complicit comes from Latin roots meaning “to fold together,” which is why the word feels so eerie: guilt can be shared, hidden, and wrapped inside a group.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
complicāre
“to fold together, entwine, interweave”
Late Latin
Latin
complicitus
“folded together; involved together”
Old French
Old French
complice
“an accomplice, partner in crime”
16th Century
English
complice
“an accomplice or partner in wrongdoing”
17th Century
English
complicit
“involved with others in a crime or immoral act”
Modern English
English
complicit
“involved in wrongdoing, especially by helping or failing to oppose it”