Involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing; being an accomplice or partner in questionable behavior, often through silence or inaction.
From Latin 'complicatus,' past participle of 'complicare' (to fold together). The idea is of being 'folded together' or entangled with others in wrongdoing, sharing responsibility for the outcome.
Being complicit is like being part of a human pretzel - you're twisted up together with others in something wrong, and it's hard to untangle yourself from the shared guilt. Silence in the face of wrongdoing often makes one complicit.
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