Meanings
comparative more complicit · superlative most complicit
- Associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature.
Khan's sale of nuclear secrets and a complicit Pakistani government have made the world a ticking time bomb.
2005 March 7, Larry Dennsion, “Letters”, in Time3 more examples
It [slavery] has set the seal of a complicit, guilty silence upon the most orthodox pulpits and the saintliest tongues, […]
1861, Henry M. Wheeler, The Slaves' Champion, page 203"I confess," and the Englishman turned with a near complicit grin to Hamo, "I have certain vulgar tastes myself."
1973, Angus Wilson, As If by Magic, Secker and Warburg, page 177I have been critical of the RDG in the past for merely being a cypher for government announcements, but the failure of its members to make a stand on this issue and not be complicit in the Government's subterfuge is a shocking indictment of their failure to protect the industry.
2023 July 26, Christian Wolmar, “Closing ticket offices to lead to 'catch-22' for passengers”, in RAIL, number 988, page 42Synonyms: complicitous
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveAssociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveinvolved with others in an activity that is unlawful or morally wrong
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Most likely a back-formation from complicity, under the influence of words such as explicit, as though the suffix -ity were composed of -it (from Latin -itus) and -y.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُتَوَاطِئ, مُشَارِك
- مُتَوَاطِئ (mutawāṭiʔ)associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- مُشَارِك (mušārik)associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Danish medskyldig, meddelagtig
- medskyldigassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- meddelagtigassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- medsammensvorenassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Dutch medeplichtig
- medeplichtigassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Esperanto kunkulpa, komplica
- kunkulpaassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- komplicaassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Finnish osallinen
- osallinenassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
French complice
- compliceassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
German Komplize, beteiligt
- Komplizeassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- beteiligtassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- mitschuldigassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- mit unter einer Decke steckendassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- mit drin steckendassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Icelandic samsekur
- samsekurassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Portuguese cúmplice, complícito
- cúmpliceassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- complícitoassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Russian замешанный, соучастник
- замешанный (zamešannyj)associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- соучастник (součastnik)associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- причастный (pričastnyj)associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Spanish cómplice
- cómpliceassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Swedish delaktig, medskyldig
- delaktigassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
- medskyldigassociated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with complicit
All rhymes →Cite this entry
complicit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complicit
“complicit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complicit. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “complicit,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complicit.
Source: complicit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.