verb
-
(tr) to assist or encourage, esp in crime or wrongdoing
Other Word Forms
- abetment noun
- abettal noun
- abetter noun
- unabetted adjective
- unabetting adjective
Etymology
Origin of abet
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English abette (source of Old French abeter, unless the latter, of Germanic origin, is the source of the Middle English), unattested Old English ābǣtan “to hound on,” equivalent to ā- a- 3 + bǣtan “to hunt, chase with dogs, pasture”; bait; akin to bite
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"And I'm not going to aid and abet them in their efforts to do that."
From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025
Mexico’s complaint alleged that the named firearms manufacturers and the named distributor aid and abet rogue dealers in the U.S. who illegally sell firearms to straw purchasers.
From Slate • Jun. 6, 2025
“I can’t continue to aid and abet this broken system,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2024
“They will exploit any images of disorder to abet and support it.”
From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2024
Oh yes, there were plenty to aid and abet him; even he could not have held a horse race without someone to race against.
From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.