accomplice
UK[əˈkʌmplɪs]US[əˈkɑːmplɪs]
n
a person who helps another commit a crime or do something wrong.
Etymology
the word "accomplice" entered english in the late 15th century from the middle french "complice," meaning a confederate or partner, especially in crime. the french term itself derives from the late latin "complicem," the accusative form of "complex," meaning a confederate or partner, which is rooted in the latin verb "complicare," meaning "to fold together." the initial "ac-" in the english form is a result of a mistaken association with the prefix "a-" (from latin "ad-," meaning "to") and the word "accomplice," influenced by words like "accomplish." thus, the core idea evolved from the literal notion of being "folded together" or entwined with someone into the modern abstract meaning of being a partner in wrongdoing.
Analysis
the word is a loanword adopted as a single lexical unit from french. it is not productively formed from separable english morphemes.
Examples
the thief had an accomplice who waited in the getaway car.
she refused to be an accomplice in her boss's fraudulent scheme.
the police arrested the burglar and his accomplice.