abet

(ə-bĕt')
tr.v., a·bet·ted, a·bet·ting, a·bets.

1. To approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on.
2. To urge, encourage, or help (a person): abetted the thief in robbing the bank.

[Middle English abetten, from Old French abeter, to entice : a-, to (from Latin ad-; see ad-) + beter, to bait.]

abetment a·bet'ment n.
abettor a·bet'tor or a·bet'ter n.

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verb

To give support or assistance: aid, assist, boost, help (out), relieve, succor. Idioms: givelenda hand, give a leg up. See help/harm/harmless.

v

Definition: assist, help in wrongdoing
Antonyms: counter, deter, discourage, frustrate, hinder, hurt, impede, obstruct, resist

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

To encourage or incite another to commit a crime. This word is usually applied to aiding in the commission of a crime. To abet another to commit a murder is to command, procure, counsel, encourage, induce, or assist. To facilitate the commission of a crime, promote its accomplishment, or help in advancing or bringing it about.

In relation to charge of aiding and abetting, term includes knowledge of the perpetrator's wrongful purpose, and encouragement, promotion or counsel of another in the commission of the criminal offense.

A French word, abeter — to bait or excite an animal.

For example, the manager of a jewelry store fails to turn on the store's silent alarm on the night she knows her cousin plans to rob the store. Her conduct is that of abetting the robbery. If, however, she merely forgot to turn on the alarm, she would not have abetted the crime.

The word abet is most commonly used as part of the comprehensive phrase aid and abet.

IN BRIEF: To actively encourage or aid (an offense).

Did he abet the crime by his actions?

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See words rhyming with "abetter."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Abet.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - være meddelagtig, tilskynde til

Nederlands (Dutch)
bijstaan, medeplichtig zijn aan, ophitsen

Français (French)
v. tr. - encourager (le crime), (Jur) être complice de

Deutsch (German)
v. - unterstützen, helfen, Vorschub leisten

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - εξωθώ, υποκινώ, παρακινώ (σε διάπραξη παρανομίας), υποβοηθώ

Italiano (Italian)
favoreggiare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - incentivar, incitar, provocar

Русский (Russian)
подстрекать, содействовать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - instigar, incitar, inducir

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - uppvigla, underblåsa

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
帮助, 教唆, 煽动

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 幫助, 教唆, 煽動

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 선동하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 賛助する, けしかける, 教唆する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يغري, يحرض‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮עזר, סייע, עודד‬

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