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accomplice: accomplice: [15] This word was borrowed into English (from French) as complice (and complice stayed in common usage until late in the 19th century). It comes from Latin complex, which is related to English complicated, and originally meant simply ‘an associate’, without any pejorative associations. The form accomplice first appears on the scene in the late 15th century (the first record of it is in William Caxton’s Charles the Great), and it probably arose through a misanalysis of complice preceded by the indefinite article (a complice) as acomplice. It may also have been influenced by accomplish or accompany.
=> complicated
accomplish: accomplish: see complete
compliant: compliant: see comply
complicate: complicate: see ply
compliment: compliment: [17] Compliment and complement, so often confused, are in effect doublets. They come from the same ultimate source, Latin complēmentum, a noun derived from complēre ‘fill up, finish’ (source of English complete and accomplish). English borrowed complement direct from Latin in the 14th century in the sense ‘fulfilment, accomplishment’, and by the 16th century this had developed the more specific metaphorical meaning ‘fulfilment of the obligation of politeness’ – hence ‘polite words of praise’.

But then in the 17th century came competition in the form of compliment, also meaning ‘polite words of praise’. This also came from Latin complēmentum, but along a circuitous route via Vulgar Latin *complimentum, Spanish cumplimiento, and French compliment. It gradually took over from complement in this ‘flattering’ sense, while complement went on to develop its leading current meaning, ‘counterpart’, in the 19th century.
=> accomplish, complement, complete, comply, expletive, plenary, plenty
accomplice (n.): 1580s (earlier complice, late 15c.), from Old French complice "a confederate," from Late Latin complicem (nominative complex) "partner, confederate," from Latin complicare "fold together" (see complicate). With parasitic a- on model of accomplish, etc., or perhaps by assimilation of indefinite article in phrase a complice.
accomplish (v.): late 14c., from Old French acompliss-, present participle stem of acomplir "to fulfill, fill up, complete" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *accomplere, from Latin ad- "to" (see ad-) + complere "fill up" (see complete (adj.)). Related: Accomplished; accomplishing.
accomplished (adj.): late 15c., "perfect as a result of training," past participle adjective from accomplish (v.). Meaning "completed" is from late 14c.
accomplishment (n.): early 15c., "performance of a task; state of completion," from Old French acomplissement "action of accomplishing," from acomplir (see accomplish). Meaning "thing completed" and that of "something that completes" someone and fits him or her for society are from c. 1600.
compliance (n.): 1640s, from comply + -ance. Related: Compliancy.
compliant (adj.): 1640s, from comply + -ant.
complicate (v.): 1620s, "to intertwine" (as a past participle adjective, early 15c.), from Latin complicatus "folded together; confused, intricate," past participle of complicare (see complication). Meaning "to make more complex" is recorded from 1832, from earlier sense "to combine in a complex way" (17c.). Related: Complicated; complicating.
complicated (adj.): 1640s, "tangled," from past participle adjective from complicate. Figurative meaning "not easy to solve, intricate, confused, difficult to unravel" is from 1650s.
complication (n.): early 15c., from Middle French complication, from Latin complicationem (nominative complicatio), noun of action from past participle stem of complicare "to fold together, fold up, roll up," from com- "together" (see com-) + plicare "to fold, weave" (see ply (v.1)). Meaning "something that complicates" first recorded 1903.
complicity (n.): 1650s, from French complicité, from Old French complice "accomplice, comrade, companion" (14c.), from Late Latin complicem, accusative of complex "partner, confederate," from Latin complicare "to fold together" (see complicate; also compare accomplice).
compliment (n.): "An act, or expression of civility, usually understood to include some hypocrisy, and to mean less than it declares" [Johnson], 1570s, complement, via French compliment (17c.), from Italian complimento "expression of respect and civility," from Vulgar Latin *complire, for Latin complere "to complete" (see complete (adj.)), via notion of "complete the obligations of politeness." Same word as complement but by a different etymological route; differentiated by spelling after 1650.
compliment (v.): 1610s, from French complimenter, from compliment (see compliment (n.)). Related: Complimented; complimenting.
complimentary (adj.): 1620s, "conveying a compliment," from compliment (n.) + -ary. In later use loosely meaning "free of charge."
compline (n.): the last canonical service of the day, early 13c., cumplie, compelin, from Old French complie (12c.), from Latin completa (hora), from completus (see complete (adj.)); with unexplained -n-.
fait accompli (n.): "a scheme already carried into execution," 19c., French, literally "an accomplished fact." See feat and accomplish.
non-compliance (n.): also noncompliance, 1680s, from non- + compliance. Related: Noncompliant.
unaccomplished (adj.): 1520s, "not finished," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of accomplish (v.). Meaning "not furnished with social or intellectual accomplishments" is from 1729 (see accomplished).
uncomplicated (adj.): 1724, from un- (1) "not" + complicated.