Meanings
plural complicities
- countableuncountableThe state of being complicit; involvement as a partner or accomplice, especially in a crime or other wrongdoing.
Their actions bespoke complicity.
1 more example
He drew up a placard, offering Twenty Pounds reward for the apprehension of Stephen Blackpool, suspected of complicity in the robbery of Coketown Bank.
1854, Charles Dickens, chapter 32, in Hard TimesSynonyms: collusion, complicitousness, connivance
- archaiccountableuncountableComplexity.
How easy is it, on the other hand, to an enlightened teacher, particularly in the beginning, to elucidate the various forms of rhythm by methodical arrangement in respect of simplicity and increasing complicity or mixture!
1861, Dr. Marx, “Musical Education and Instruction,”, in The Musical Times, volume 10, number 220, page 53
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe state of being complicit; involvement as a partner or accomplice, especially in a crime or other wrongdoing.
Origin
- Latincomplicō“fold together”
- Late Latincomplic-
- Old Frenchcomplice“accomplice”
- Frenchcomplicité
- Englishcomplicity
From French complicité, from Middle French, from Old French complice (“accomplice”), from Late Latin complic-, stem of complex (“partner, confederate”), from Latin complicō (“fold together”).
More words from French, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian съучастничество
- съучастничество (săučastničestvo)The state of being complicit
Catalan complicitat
- complicitatThe state of being complicit
Chinese Mandarin 同謀 /同谋, 共謀 /共谋
- 同謀 /同谋 (tóngmóu)The state of being complicit
- 共謀 /共谋 (gòngmóu)The state of being complicit
Dutch medeplichtigheid
- medeplichtigheidThe state of being complicit
Esperanto kompliceco
- komplicecoThe state of being complicit
Finnish osallisuus
- osallisuusThe state of being complicit
French complicité
- complicitéThe state of being complicit
German Mittäterschaft, Mitschuld
- MittäterschaftThe state of being complicit
- MitschuldThe state of being complicit
- TeilhaberschaftThe state of being complicit
- KomplizenschaftThe state of being complicit
- TatbeteiligungThe state of being complicit
- KomplizitätThe state of being complicit
Hungarian bűnrészesség
- bűnrészességThe state of being complicit
Italian complicità
- complicitàThe state of being complicit
Japanese 共犯
- 共犯 (kyōhan)The state of being complicit
Norwegian Bokmål medskyldighet
- medskyldighetThe state of being complicit
Persian همدستی, همدستی در جرم
- همدستی (hamdasti)The state of being complicit
- همدستی در جرمThe state of being complicit
Polish współudział
- współudziałThe state of being complicit
Portuguese cumplicidade
- cumplicidadeThe state of being complicit
Russian соуча́стие
- соуча́стие (součástije)The state of being complicit
Slovak spoluúčasť
- spoluúčasťThe state of being complicit
Spanish complicidad
- complicidadThe state of being complicit
Swedish medskyldighet
- medskyldighetThe state of being complicit
Ukrainian співу́часть
- співу́часть (spivúčastʹ)The state of being complicit
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
complicity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complicity
“complicity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complicity. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “complicity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complicity.
Source: complicity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.