What does accessary mean?
An accessary is a person who participates in a crime indirectly — by helping, encouraging, or harbouring the principal offender rather than carrying out the offence personally. The word is best known as a chiefly British legal variant spelling of the much more common 'accessory', and it appears most often in formal legal contexts such as indictments and case reports, traditionally divided into an 'accessary before the fact' (one who aids or abets beforehand) and an 'accessary after the fact' (one who assists the offender afterwards, for example by concealing evidence). Because the '-ory' spelling dominates modern usage on both sides of the Atlantic, readers encountering 'accessary' today are usually looking at historical or deliberately archaic legal prose. The word derives from Latin roots meaning 'to approach' or 'to accede', reflecting the notion of one who comes alongside the crime without being its main actor. For everyday writing, 'accessory' is the safer choice; 'accessary' survives mainly as a curiosity of legal orthography.
nounA person who helps another commit a crime, especially by assisting before or after the act rather than committing it directly; 'accessary' is a chiefly British legal variant spelling of the more common word 'accessory'.
- A person who knowingly assists or encourages someone else to commit a crime, whether before or after the offence.
"The court found him an accessary to the robbery for driving the getaway car."
"She was charged as an accessary after the fact for hiding the stolen documents."
"The prosecution argued that supplying the keys made him an accessary to the burglary."
The plural follows the standard '-y' to '-ies' pattern; it appears mainly in older British legal texts.
"Both men were tried as accessaries to the conspiracy."
Spelled with an '-ary' instead of '-ory', this rare British courtroom spelling is the same word as 'accessory' — just dressed differently.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accessary
The word comes from medieval Latin 'accessarius', derived from Latin 'accedere', meaning 'to approach' or 'to accede', formed from 'ad-' ('towards') plus 'cedere' ('to go'). It entered English in the late Middle Ages as a legal term for one who joins in another's wrongdoing. The doublet spellings 'accessary' and 'accessory' both descend from the same source, with 'accessory' ultimately prevailing in general use while 'accessary' lingered in British legal writing. Cognates from the same Latin root include 'access', 'accessible', and 'concede'.
How accessary is actually used
The spelling 'accessary' is now rare and chiefly confined to older British legal texts; modern usage overwhelmingly prefers 'accessory' in both British and American English. The term carries a formal, legal register and implies knowing involvement rather than mere presence at a crime.
Easily confused with accessary
'Accessory' is the standard, far more common spelling of the same legal term and also means an item of clothing or equipment that adds to something else, whereas 'accessary' is a chiefly British variant used almost exclusively in the criminal-law sense.