Accomplice: meaning, definitions and examples

An accomplice is someone who helps another person commit a crime or wrongdoing. This term is often used in legal contexts and has a negative connotation.

• The police arrested the bank robber and his accomplice.
• She was considered an accomplice in the fraud scheme.

A partner in crime is usually used informally or colloquially to describe someone who joins with another person in any type of mischief or wrongdoing. It is often used jokingly to describe close friends who do fun or mischievous activities together.

• They are always together; he's her partner in crime.
• Last night, my partner in crime and I stayed up all night playing video games.

A collaborator can refer to someone who works together with another person or group to achieve a goal. Unlike 'accomplice' or 'accessory,' this word doesn't inherently imply illegality and can have positive or neutral connotations in a different context.

• He was a key collaborator in the research project.
• During the war, some people saw him as a collaborator with the enemy forces.

An accessory is someone who helps in a crime but does not actually participate in committing it. This term is also used in legal contexts and carries a negative connotation. It can also mean something additional or supplementary in other contexts.

• He was charged as an accessory to the robbery because he provided the getaway car.
• The necklace was a beautiful accessory to her dress.