Definition of accessory

exculpate Definition: (verb) to free from blame or guilt. Petersons.com

Add Word of the Day to your personalized My Yahoo! page: About My Yahoo! and RSS »

Email this page to a friend

< accessorize

accessory apartment >

ac·ces·so·ry    (k-ss-r) KEY  

NOUN:
pl. ac·ces·so·ries

1. 1. A subordinate or supplementary item; an adjunct.
   2. Something nonessential but desirable that contributes to an effect or result. See Synonyms at appendage.
2. Law
   1. One who incites, aids, or abets a lawbreaker in the commission of a crime but is not present at the time of the crime. Also called accessory before the fact .
   2. One who aids a criminal after the commission of a crime, but was not present at the time of the crime. Also called accessory after the fact .

ADJECTIVE:

1. Having a secondary, supplementary, or subordinate function.
2. Law Serving to aid or abet a lawbreaker, either before or after the commission of the crime, without being present at the time the crime was committed.

---

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English accessorie, from Medieval Latin accessrius, from accessor, helper, from Latin accessus, approach ; see access

OTHER FORMS:
acces·sori·al   (-s-sôr-l, -sr-) KEY  (Adjective), ac·cesso·ri·ly (Adverb), ac·cesso·ri·ness (Noun)
Usage Note:
Although the pronunciation (-ss-r), with no (k) sound in the first syllable, is commonly heard, it is not accepted by a majority of the Usage Panel. In a recent survey, 87 percent of the Panelists disapproved of it. The 13 percent that accepted the pronunciation were divided on usage: more than half accepted the (k)-less pronunciation for all senses. A few approved of it only in fashion contexts, and a few others approved of it only in legal contexts.

Visit our partner's site

	Provided by Houghton Mifflin eReference -- Download this interactive reference software to your desktop computer

Search Dictionary:

More on Yahoo! Education

• Online and On-Campus Degree Programs     MBAs  -  Technology Management  -  Education  -  Health  -  More  • College & Grad School - A Comprehensive Guide     College Search  -  Test Prep  -  Application Tips  -  Scholarship Search