English vocabulary · C1
Complicit
/kəmˈplɪsɪt/ · adj.
It means being part of a wrong act, even if you only help or stay silent.
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Example sentences
- They were complicit in hiding the truth.
- His silence made him complicit.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- com — together (from Latin)
- plic — fold (from Latin)
Words with the same root
plic — fold
- complicate — to make something more difficult by folding in more layers
- explicit — fully unfolded and stated — nothing hidden
- implicit — folded inside and not directly stated
Lesson notes
Complicit. It means being part of a wrong act, even if you only help or stay silent.
Close words are guilty, involved, and responsible. Use complicit when someone shares blame for wrong.
They were complicit in hiding the truth. His silence made him complicit.
From Latin. Com means together. Plic means fold. Together, folded into the same wrong act. That is complicit.