Complicit
/kəmˈplɪsɪt/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Complicit describes when a person helps or agrees with a bad or illegal action, even if they do not do it directly. It means being part of a problem by supporting or not stopping it, often secretly or quietly.
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See It in Action
Being involved in a bad or illegal action by helping or allowing it
- •He was complicit in the company's fraud by hiding important information.
- •She felt complicit because she did not stop the unfair treatment.
- •The government was complicit in ignoring the human rights abuses.
Sharing responsibility for a wrongdoing through silence or support
- •Many employees were complicit in covering up the mistake.
- •By staying silent, the neighbors became complicit in the crime.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "complicit" like "involved," but in something wrong or bad, not just any activity
- ✓Picture someone watching a friend steal but not telling anyone or stopping them
- ✓It's the feeling when you know something bad is happening, and you do nothing to stop it
- ✓Sounds like "come-PLISS-it" → imagine someone quietly joining a secret plan that is not good
- ✓Think of stories where a group plans a secret, bad action, and everyone who knows and stays silent is complicit
- ✓NOT like "innocent" (not involved at all); complicit means you share some responsibility
- ✓NOT like "guilty" (directly doing the bad act); complicit is more about helping or allowing it
- ✓NOT like "accuser" (someone who blames); complicit is about sharing the blame by being part of the problem
Try Other Words
- •Involved: taking part in something (Use when you want a general word without the bad meaning)
- •Guilty: responsible for a bad action (Use when someone directly did something wrong, not just helped)
- •Responsible: having duty or blame for something (Use when focusing on blame or duty, not secret help)
- •Associated: connected with something or someone (Use when the connection is less direct or less about blame)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: com- (together) + plic- (fold, from Latin "plicare") + -it (adjective ending)
- •Etymology: From Latin "complicare" meaning "to fold together," later used to mean being involved together in something
- •Historical development: Entered English in the 1600s meaning 'involved together,' later gained negative meaning of being involved in wrongdoing
- •Modern usage: Used mainly to describe someone who shares blame by helping or allowing bad actions, often in legal or moral contexts
Reflect & Connect
•Can someone be complicit without knowing about the wrongdoing? Why or why not?
•How does being complicit affect a person's responsibility compared to directly committing a bad act?
Fill in the blanks
1.She was complicit in the plan because she ___ the secret and did not tell anyone.
2.Being complicit often means you ___ the bad action by staying silent or helping.
3.Unlike someone guilty of a crime, a complicit person may not ___ the act directly.
4.People can become complicit when they ___ to unfair or illegal behavior without stopping it.
5.The manager was complicit ___ allowing unsafe work conditions to continue.
6.When someone is complicit, they share some ___ for what happened.
7.To avoid being complicit, it is important to ___ bad actions when you see them.