adjective
complicit
kuhm-PLIHS-iht
adjective
1
Involved in a wrongful act along with others, even if only by staying silent or looking the other way.
"Several employees were complicit in covering up the fraud."
"By ignoring the abuse, the manager became complicit in it."
How to Use Complicit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSharing some of the blame for something bad, usually by helping or by failing to stop it.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
complicit in
complicit silence
Word Forms
more complicit comparative, most complicit superlative
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Several employees were _____ in covering up the fraud.
Etymology
Formed from "complicity," likely shaped by words like "explicit" that end in -icit.