conspirator

[kuhn-spir-uh-ter]

noun

1. a person who takes part in a conspiracy; plotter.

   Synonyms: conniver, schemer, traitor

Other Word Forms

• nonconspirator noun
• preconspirator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conspirator¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English conspiratour, from Anglo-French, from Latin conspīrātor, from conspīrā(tus) “united, acted in harmony” (past participle of conspīrāre; conspire ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

The investigators cited a dialogue captured between the alleged conspirators and meetings at the presidential residence that they say support the charges.

From BBC

Prosecutors didn’t charge Arenas, Gershman and their alleged conspirators until last week.

From Los Angeles Times

It comes as the legal team for Epstein's conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, indicated she would only testify before Congress on what she knows about the case if she is granted strict legal protections.

From BBC

The money was sent to bank accounts in the Los Angeles area, controlled by Song and other conspirators she had recruited.

From Los Angeles Times

They testified that Kelly was a conspirator, pointing to videos he filmed on his phone while allegedly casing Morris’ apartment complex.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accomplice 
• collaborator 
• plotter 
• traitor 

When To Use

What does conspirator mean?

A conspirator is someone engaged in a conspiracy—a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal.The word conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. In a legal context, conspiracy refers to an agreement by two or more people to commit a crime.In any of these cases, the people involved can be called conspirators. The word co-conspirator refers to a fellow conspirator—a conspirator conspiring with one or more other conspirators in a conspiracy. But, by itself, the word conspirator always implies that there are multiple people involved—there is never a single conspirator.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 conspirators. 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.Example: This isn’t the work of one man—it’s a conspiracy, and there are more conspirators than you think!