accessory before the fact

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Word: Accessory Before the Fact

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: An "accessory before the fact" is a person who helps or encourages someone to commit a crime, but is not there when the crime actually happens. This could mean giving advice, planning the crime, or providing tools or assistance.

Usage Instructions:

• The term is often used in legal contexts to describe someone who is involved in a crime but does not directly participate in the act itself.
• You can use the phrase when discussing crime, law, or situations where someone helps another person do something wrong.

Example:

• "The police arrested Jane as an accessory before the fact because she helped her friend plan the robbery."

Advanced Usage:

• In legal discussions, "accessory before the fact" can be contrasted with "accessory after the fact," which refers to someone who helps the criminal after the crime has been committed, such as hiding them or helping them escape.

Word Variants:

• Accessory (noun): Someone who assists in committing a crime.
• Principal (noun): The main person who commits the crime.

Different Meanings:

• In a non-legal context, "accessory" can also refer to something that adds to or enhances something else, like accessories in fashion (jewelry, bags, etc.).

Synonyms:

• Accomplice (in a general sense)
• Collaborator
• Conspirator

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren't specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "accessory before the fact," but you might hear phrases like "in cahoots" which means working together secretly, often for something dishonest.

Summary:

An "accessory before the fact" is someone who plays a role in planning or supporting a crime without being present during its execution.

Academic

Noun

1. a person who procures or advises or commands the commission of a felony but who is not present at its perpetration