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
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)
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
[ &-'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.