conspiracy

[kuhn-spir-uh-see]

noun

plural

conspiracies 

1. the act of conspiring.

   Synonyms: sedition, collusion

2. an unlawful, harmful, or evil plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.

3. a combination of persons for such an unlawful, harmful, or evil purpose.

   He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.

4. Law.,  an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.

5. any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.

conspiracy

/ kənˈspɪrəsɪ, kənˌspɪrəˈtɔːrɪəl /

noun

1. a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, esp with political motivation; plot

2. the act of making such plans in secret

Other Word Forms

• conspiratorially adverb
• conspirator noun
• conspiratorial adjective
• conspirative adjective
• conspiratory adjective
• preconspiracy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conspiracy¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English conspiracie, probably from Anglo-French; conspire, -acy; replacing Middle English conspiracioun; conspiration

Synonym Study

Conspiracy, plot, intrigue, cabal all refer to surreptitious or covert schemes to accomplish some end, most often an evil one. A conspiracy usually involves a group entering into a secret agreement to achieve some illicit or harmful objective: a vicious conspiracy to control prices. A plot is a carefully planned secret scheme, usually by a small number of persons, to secure sinister ends: a plot to seize control of a company. An intrigue usually involves duplicity and deceit aimed at achieving either personal advantage or criminal or treasonous objectives: the petty intrigues of civil servants. Cabal refers either to a plan by a small group of highly-placed persons to overthrow or control a government, or to the group of persons themselves: a cabal of powerful lawmakers.

Example Sentences

Dr. Mark Chavez, 55, of San Diego, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

From Los Angeles Times

This world of conspiracy theories and misinformation is a weapon of his own making.

From Salon

A federal grand jury in Santa Ana indicted Adrian Martinez, 20, on the charge of conspiracy to impede a federal officer, after he tried to intervene in an immigration arrest in June.

From Los Angeles Times

Initial reports centred on news that four of its candidates had died, and then the deaths of two reserve candidates also emerged, prompting a flurry of conspiracy theories on social media.

From BBC

Penny raises the stakes even higher as Armand and his team uncover a more sinister conspiracy that strikes at the heart of Canada’s government and its ripped-from-the-headlines conflict with the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• plot 
• scheme 
• sedition 
• treason 

When To Use

What does conspiracy mean?

Conspiracy most commonly means a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal.Conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. The people involved can be called conspirators.In a legal context, conspiracy refers to an agreement by two or more people to commit a crime.A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an event that claims it was the result of a secret and often complex and evil plot by multiple people. People who promote or formulate conspiracy theories often reject the standard or accepted explanation of unexplained or unusual events and claim that they are the doing of evil conspirators secretly conspiring behind the scenes.Both conspiracy and conspiracy theory are often used in the context of politics.Example: This isn’t the work of one man—it’s a conspiracy, and there are more people in on it than you think!