What does complicity mean?
Complicity is the condition of taking part in, or being knowingly associated with, someone else's wrongful, illegal, or morally dubious activity. A person who shows complicity need not have committed the act directly; passive assistance, silence, or failure to intervene can all count as forms of it. The word carries an unambiguously negative connotation — unlike mere 'participation' or 'cooperation', which are neutral, complicity implies shared guilt or responsibility for harm. It appears frequently in legal, political, and journalistic writing: officials stand accused of complicity in scandals, corporations of complicity in abuses, bystanders of complicity through inaction. Derived from Latin roots meaning 'to fold together', it captures the idea of being bound up with another party's wrongdoing. The word is valuable precisely because it names a subtle moral position — not the perpetrator, but not blameless either.
nounThe state of being involved with others in wrongdoing or an illicit act; partnership or participation in something blameworthy.
- Involvement with others in wrongdoing or an illicit act.
- Participation in or knowledge of another's questionable actions, even without direct commission.
"The auditor's complicity in the fraud was uncovered years later."
"Her silence amounted to complicity in the cover-up."
"He denied any complicity in his brother's smuggling operation."
Rarely used; the plural appears mainly when referring to multiple distinct instances of involvement in wrongdoing, often in literary or legal prose.
"His memoir catalogued the regime's many complicities."
Complicity literally means being 'folded together' with someone — the same Latin root that gives us duplicate and complicate.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of complicity
Complicity derives from the Latin verb complicare, meaning 'to fold together', via its past participle complicatus; the word entered English in the early 17th century, likely through French complicité. The same Latin root gives rise to cognates such as duplicate, complicate, explicit, and ply, all built on the idea of folding or weaving together. In English, complicity narrowed from the general sense of being intertwined with something to specifically denote partnership in wrongdoing.
How complicity is actually used
Formal to neutral register; strongly negative connotation — it always implies wrongdoing, never innocent cooperation. Often used in legal and political contexts.
Easily confused with complicity
Duplicity means deliberate deceitfulness or two-faced behavior, while complicity means being involved with others in wrongdoing.