From Middle English abetten, abette, from Old French abeter (“to entice”), from a- (“to”) + beter (“hound on, urge, to bait”), either from Middle Dutch bētan (“incite”) or from Old Norse beita (“to cause to bite, bait, incite”), from Proto-Germanic *baitijaną (“to cause to bite”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”). Cognate with Icelandic beita (“to set dogs on; to feed”).
Alternate etymology traces the Middle English and Old French words through Old English *ābǣtan (“to hound on”), from ā- + bǣtan (“to bait”), from the same source (Proto-Germanic *baitijaną).
See also bait, bet.
Meanings
(obsolete) Fraud or cunning.
(obsolete) An act of abetting; of helping; of giving aid.
From Middle English abetten, abette, from Old French abeter (“to entice”), from a- (“to”) + beter (“hound on, urge, to bait”), either from Middle Dutch bētan (“incite”) or from Old Norse beita (“to cause to bite, bait, incite”), from Proto-Germanic *baitijaną (“to cause to bite”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”). Cognate with Icelandic beita (“to set dogs on; to feed”).
Alternate etymology traces the Middle English and Old French words through Old English *ābǣtan (“to hound on”), from ā- + bǣtan (“to bait”), from the same source (Proto-Germanic *baitijaną).
See also bait, bet.
Meanings
(qualifier:crime, transitive) To incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime.
The Statute provides that whoever has been engaged in aiding, abetting, or assisting, directly or indirectly, is criminal. 1851, Charles G. Davis, Report of the Proceedings at the Examination of Charles G. Davis, Esq., on the Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave, page 39:
In the matter of Treason the pig would appear / To have aided, but scarcely abetted: / While the charge of Insolvency fails, it is clear, If you grant the plea ‘never indebted. 1874–1876 (date written), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “Fit the Fit the Sixth. The Barrister’s Dream.”, in The Hunting of the Snark […], London: Macmillan and Co., published March 1876, →OCLC:
aid and abet
Those who would exalt themselves by abetting the strength of the Godless, and the wrength of the oppressors. 1823, John Galt, Ringan Gilhaize or The Covenanters:
The brief, a motion for summary judgment in a case stemming from Fox’s egregiously false claims of Dominion-abetted election fraud, offers a portrait of extravagant cynicism. 2023 February 17, Michelle Goldberg, “What Fox News Says When You’re Not Listening”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
(transitive) To support, countenance, maintain, uphold, or aid (any good cause, opinion, or action).
Later some of these artistic friends[…]abetted this ecclesiastical view in so far as they renounced pre-Raphaelism and learned to love the baroque; but that was an aesthetic fashion also, and corrupt,[…] 1952 May, George Santayana, “I Like to Be a Stranger”, in The Atlantic:
The elements, however, abetted me in making a path through the deepest snow in the woods, for when I had once gone through the wind blew the oak leaves into my tracks, where they lodged, and by absorbing the rays of the sun melted the snow, and so not only made a dry bed for my feet, but in the night their dark line was my guide. 1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
Our duty is urged, and our confidence abetted. a. 1667, Jeremy Taylor, edited by George Rust, The whole works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, published 1835:
By the early Seventies, Playboy was selling seven million copies a month and Hefner's globe-trotting lifestyle was abetted by his private jet, the Big Bunny, that contained a circular bed, an inside disco and a wet bar. 2017 September 27, David Browne, “Hugh Hefner, 'Playboy' Founder, Dead at 91”, in Rolling Stone, archived from the original on 28 Sep 2017:
(obsolete, transitive) To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
(obsolete) To back up one's forecast of a doubtful issue, by staking money, etc., to bet.
ru соде́йствовать (to support, uphold, or aid) · ru нау́ськивать (to assist or encourage in crime) · nb hjelpe (to support, uphold, or aid) · pt instigar (to assist or encourage in crime) · ka წაქეზება (to assist or encourage in crime) · pt incitar (to assist or encourage in crime) · vi khích (to assist or encourage in crime) · ja 煽動する (to assist or encourage in crime) · cs pomáhat (to assist or encourage in crime) · ia incorariar (to assist or encourage in crime) · fa همدستی کردن (to assist or encourage in crime) · de stützen (to support, uphold, or aid) · gl alentar (to support, uphold, or aid) · vi xúi bẩy (to assist or encourage in crime) · cs podporovat (to support, uphold, or aid) · pt ajudar (to support, uphold, or aid) · nl meehelpen aan (to support, uphold, or aid) · ia adjutar (to support, uphold, or aid) · de anstiften (to assist or encourage in crime) · ru подде́рживать (to support, uphold, or aid) · de aufhetzen (to assist or encourage in crime) · nl aansporen (to assist or encourage in crime) · gl incitar (to assist or encourage in crime) · gl alentar (to assist or encourage in crime) · it sostenere (to support, uphold, or aid) · it favoreggiare (to assist or encourage in crime) · fi tukea (to support, uphold, or aid) · nl ondersteunen (to support, uphold, or aid) · bg поощрявам съдействувам (to support, uphold, or aid) · nl ophitsen (to assist or encourage in crime) · nl aanzetten (to assist or encourage in crime) · nn hjelpa (to support, uphold, or aid) · cs napomáhat (to support, uphold, or aid) · es ayudar (to support, uphold, or aid) · is aðstoða (to assist or encourage in crime) · nl bijstaan (to support, uphold, or aid) · ka წახალისება (to assist or encourage in crime) · pt assistir (to support, uphold, or aid) · cs podněcovat (to assist or encourage in crime) · id abet (to assist or encourage in crime) · fi avustaa (to assist or encourage in crime) · ga neartaigh le (to assist or encourage in crime) · cs umožňovat (to support, uphold, or aid) · ia incitar (to assist or encourage in crime) · it incoraggiare (to assist or encourage in crime) · ru поощря́ть (to support, uphold, or aid) · sv bistå (to support, uphold, or aid) · bg подстрекавам (to assist or encourage in crime) · ru подбива́ть (to assist or encourage in crime) · cmn 煽動 /煽动 (to assist or encourage in crime) · fr encourager (to assist or encourage in crime) · cs navádět (to assist or encourage in crime) · sv uppvigla (to support, uphold, or aid) · bg подбуждам (to assist or encourage in crime) · vi xúi giục (to assist or encourage in crime) · cs napomáhat (to assist or encourage in crime) · cmn 教唆 (to assist or encourage in crime) · ru подстрека́ть (to assist or encourage in crime) · om Saaduu (to assist or encourage in crime) · ru подгова́ривать (to assist or encourage in crime) · de helfen (to support, uphold, or aid) · de ermutigen (to assist or encourage in crime) · sv understödja (to support, uphold, or aid) · sv anstifta (to assist or encourage in crime) · fi ylläpitää (to support, uphold, or aid) · es incitar (to assist or encourage in crime) · nl aanmoedigen (to assist or encourage in crime) · fi yllyttää (to assist or encourage in crime) · vi tiếp tay (to support, uphold, or aid) · it istigare (to assist or encourage in crime) · gl instigar (to assist or encourage in crime)