Accessory
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Something that belongs to part of another main thing; something additional and subordinate, an attachment.
"the accessories of a mobile phone"
- 2 a supplementary component that improves capability wordnet
- 3 An article that completes one's basic outfit, such as a scarf or gloves.
"One of the first of a wave of American women contemporary designers who emerged in the 1990s, she [Kate Spade] built a brand on the appeal of clothes and accessories that made shoppers smile."
- 4 clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing wordnet
- 5 A person who is not present at a crime, but contributes to it as an assistant or instigator.
"She was an accessory to the murder because she helped him commit and probably also conceal the crime."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 someone who helps another person commit a crime wordnet
- 7 Something in a work of art without being indispensably necessary, for example solely ornamental parts.
- 1 Having a secondary, supplementary or subordinate function by accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; being additional; contributing or being contributory.
"accessory garments"
- 2 Assisting a crime without actually participating in committing the crime itself; being connected as an incident or subordinate to a principal.
"Her actions were clearly accessory because they helped him commit and probably also conceal the crime."
- 3 Present in a minor amount, and not essential.
"accessory mineral"
- 4 Supernumerary and generally nonfunctional.
"She had an accessory finger on one hand."
- 1 furnishing added support wordnet
- 2 aiding and abetting in a crime wordnet
Example
More examples"That glittering accessory doesn't go with your sweatshirt. Try this on!"
Etymology
From Medieval Latin accessōrius, from Latin accessor (“helper, subordinate”), from accessus. Compare access, from same root.
From Middle English accessorie, from Medieval Latin accessōrius, from Latin accessor (“helper, subordinate”), from accessus. Compare access, from same root.
Related phrases
More for "accessory"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.