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Dictionary
| English |
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| Definitions |
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Def: a person who voluntarily assists the principal offender to commit a crime
Example: An accomplice is guilty of the same crime and usually receives the same sentence as the principal offender.
Accomplices are abettors and aiders.
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| Usage note |
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To distinguish the criminal culpability of one from another, the common law developed specialized terms for the various ways in which one could be an accomplice. For instance, a "principal in the first degree" was the person who actually carried out a crime. A "principal in the second degree" (an "aider and abettor") was a helper who was present at a crime scene but in a passive role, such as acting as a "lookout."
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| Collocations |
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| See also |
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| dic_connotations |
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