accessorial

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.

   3. 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.

   4. 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.

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.

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.

Usage Note: Although the pronunciation (ə-sěs'ə-rē), 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.