complice

noun

com·​plice ˈkäm-pləs How to pronounce complice (audio) ˈkəm- How to pronounce complice (audio)
archaic
: associate

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "associate, accomplice," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Late Latin complic-, complex "fellow-participant, partner, accomplice (in wrongdoing)," probably noun derivative of complicāre "to fold together, fold up, bundle, connect (to), cause to join" (going back to Latin, "to fold together"), after derivatives with the multiplicative suffixal element -plex, as in duplex "folded double, duplex entry 1" — more at complicate entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of complice was in the 15th century

Rhymes for complice

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Browse Nearby Words

complication
complice
complicit
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Cite this Entry

“Complice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complice. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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