The act of encouraging or inciting another to do a certain thing, such as a crime For example, many countries will equally punish a person who aids or abets another to commit a crime
To instigate or encourage by aid or countenance; used in a bad sense of persons and acts; as, to abet an ill-doer; to abet one in his wicked courses; to abet vice; to abet an insurrection
If one person abets another, they help or encourage them to do something criminal or wrong. Abet is often used in the legal expression `aid and abet'. His wife was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for aiding and abetting him. to help someone do something wrong or illegal aid and abet aid (3)
[ &-'bet ] (transitive verb.) 14th century. Middle English abetten, from Middle French abeter, from Old French, from a- + beter to bait, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English b[AE]tan to bait.