Make Your Point > Archived Issues > COMPLICIT
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pronounce
COMPLICIT:
Say it "come PLISS it."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
As we check out the word complicit, see if you can recall some of its close cousins:
1. Something __plicit is said or expressed in a hidden or indirect way, as if the message is folded inward, hidden in the surrounding context.
2. Something __plicit is clear, plain, definite, or detailed, as if the message has been folded outward, placed in clear view.
And someone complicit has been folded in with the main criminals. Let's explore that one!
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Complicit" looks like the words "complex" and "complicate" because they all have Latin bits that mean "folded together" or "woven together." You can trace them to the Latin complex, meaning "a partner," which entered French, and then English, with the more specific meaning "a partner in crime."
That explains why, in English today, to be complicit in some evil, sneaky, or criminal plan or situation is to be involved in it: to be a part of it, knowingly, even though you aren't the main person responsible for it, and even though your involvement may be passive.
It's as if someone else folded you into that sneaky plan--and you just went along with it, maybe because it benefited you or because it was easier than resisting.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "They were complicit in that crime;" "She was complicit in lying to the public."
Other common forms:
Just the noun, "complicity."
how to use it:
Pick the formal, semi-common word "complicit" to describe people who knew something bad was going on, who should have tried to stop it and didn't.
We most often talk about people (or groups of people) being complicit in bad things: complicit in a crime, complicit in a scheme, complicit in a harmful system, complicit in the ongoing abuse or oppression of certain people, etc.
If your meaning is clear, you can omit the phrase "in (some dirty deed)" and just refer to people being complicit. We'll see two examples below.
examples:
"I lost respect for Vogue after they featured Asma al Assad, the complicit wife of a man who has committed the most brutal war crimes against humanity, in a glowing lifestyle profile."
— Commenter responding to an article in the New York Times, 8 April 2018
"[In the book The Handmaid's Tale], women... are forbidden to vote, have jobs, or read or write. Some are complicit, others risk their lives resisting."
— Hillel Italie, Associated Press, 4 September 2019
has this page helped you understand "complicit"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "complicit" without saying "involved" or "partly responsible."
try it out:
When a book, a movie, or a play feels especially real to you, it can make you feel complicit in the events unfolding, as if you're just sitting there watching them when you should be trying to stop them.
That's why you'll see reviewers often use the word "complicit" in this way. Check out an example. It's from Ben Brantley's review of a performance of The Crucible:
"The silhouetted audience members come to seem like part of the cast. They — that is, we — implicitly become members of the tribunal that will send dozens of people to their deaths. We are complicit; we have been sweating and flinching right along with the hysteria-steeped characters before us."
With The Crucible in mind as an example, talk about another story that draws you in, making you feel complicit in the characters' schemes, misdeeds, failures, horrors, injustices, or embarrassments.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for this month: MYP Anagrams!
Rearrange the letters in the given word to form a word we've studied before. For example, if I give you THREAD, you give me DEARTH. To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
Try this one today:
Rearrange the letters in FUSSIER to make a noun.
To peek at the clues, highlight the hidden white text below.
The definition is… a long, narrow crack; or, a split or division between people or ideas.
The first letter is… F.
review this word:
A. SIMPLE.
B. UNCLEAR.
C. INNOCENT.
2.
George Pettit explained his band's song "Complicit," saying that it's about "_____."
A. lowering our expectations and taking our lives less seriously
B. recognizing the unfair advantages that we are afforded as white, heterosexual males
C. protecting our rights as musicians to create personas and narratives without fear of prosecution
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
As we check out the word complicit, see if you can recall some of its close cousins:
"Complicit" looks like the words "complex" and "complicate" because they all have Latin bits that mean "folded together" or "woven together." You can trace them to the Latin complex, meaning "a partner," which entered French, and then English, with the more specific meaning "a partner in crime."
Part of speech:
Pick the formal, semi-common word "complicit" to describe people who knew something bad was going on, who should have tried to stop it and didn't.
"I lost respect for Vogue after they featured Asma al Assad, the complicit wife of a man who has committed the most brutal war crimes against humanity, in a glowing lifestyle profile."
Explain the meaning of "complicit" without saying "involved" or "partly responsible."
When a book, a movie, or a play feels especially real to you, it can make you feel complicit in the events unfolding, as if you're just sitting there watching them when you should be trying to stop them.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |