complicity
noun
com·plic·i·ty
kəm-ˈpli-s(ə-)tē 
plural complicities
1
: association or participation in or as if in a wrongful act
arrested for complicity in the crime
2
: an instance of complicity
The two share a complicity she calls fraternal.—
Joan Dupont
Joan Dupont
Examples of complicity in a Sentence
There's no proof of her complicity in the murder.
He acted with his brother's complicity.
Recent Examples on the Web
In August 2024, 13 months after Spradlin was stabbed at least 12 times, McKinney III, 24, was indicted on charges of murder and multiple counts of complicity to tampering with evidence.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024
Applebaum argues that Western democracies must reckon with their complicity in the spread of kleptocratic autocracy through offshore banking, money laundering, business deals, and ideological support from right-wing fellow travelers.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Oct. 2024
All the same elements are there: the whirlwind of fabrications, the social media frenzies, the distracting effects on Congress and the White House — not to mention the complicity of the news media.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Fake casualty numbers were immediately announced by Hamas, to be instantly and unquestioningly spread by journalists whose credulity verged on complicity.
—Jeffrey Blehar, National Review, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complicity 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024
Applebaum argues that Western democracies must reckon with their complicity in the spread of kleptocratic autocracy through offshore banking, money laundering, business deals, and ideological support from right-wing fellow travelers.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Oct. 2024
All the same elements are there: the whirlwind of fabrications, the social media frenzies, the distracting effects on Congress and the White House — not to mention the complicity of the news media.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Fake casualty numbers were immediately announced by Hamas, to be instantly and unquestioningly spread by journalists whose credulity verged on complicity.
—Jeffrey Blehar, National Review, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complicity
Articles Related to complicity
Dictionary Entries Near complicity
Cite this Entry
“Complicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complicity. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
complicity
noun
com·plic·i·ty
kəm-ˈplis-ət-ē
plural complicities
: association or participation in a wrongful act
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share