Definition of conspiracy
conspiracies
1 : the act of conspiring together They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.
2a : an agreement among conspirators uncovered a conspiracy against the governmentb : a group of conspirators a conspiracy made up of disgruntled aristocrats
From the M-W Editors
Examples of conspiracy in a Sentence
The CIA uncovered a conspiracy against the government.
They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.
Recent Examples of conspiracy from the Web
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Each defendant is charged with participating in a drug distributing conspiracy in various roles such as leader, supplier of drugs and stash house operator, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Benjamin Glassman said.
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Some have called blockchains a libertarian conspiracy.
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Scaife was also convicted of conspiracy to murder in the first degree and using a firearm in a crime of violence.
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But, if nothing else, the vintage design of the conspiracy blog is a good call back to the many fan websites that littered the early internet after the original Twin Peaks aired.
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In 1797, John Adams’s government uncovered the conspiracy, the Senate website records.
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The bank, Varley, and Jenkins each face three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and unlawful financial assistance between May and November 2008 in relation to the British lender’s June and October fundraisings.
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Allen has also been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, and use of a handgun in a crime of violence and assault, according to police.
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Detective David March and patrol Officers Thomas Gaffney and Joseph Walsh were all charged on June 28 with conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice, according to the Chicago Tribune.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conspiracy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of conspiracy
Middle English conspiracie, from Latin conspirare —see conspire
Synonym Discussion of conspiracy
CONSPIRACY Defined for English Language Learners
conspiracy
playDefinition of conspiracy for English Language Learners
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: a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal
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: the act of secretly planning to do something that is harmful or illegal
CONSPIRACY Defined for Kids
conspiracy
playDefinition of conspiracy for Students
conspiracies
1 : a secret agreement to do something harmful or unlawful
2 : the act of plotting with others to do something harmful or unlawful
3 : a group of conspirators
Law Dictionary
conspiracy
playLegal Definition of conspiracy
conspiracies
1 : an agreement between two or more people to commit an act prohibited by law or to commit a lawful act by means prohibited by law; also : the crime or tort of participating in a conspiracy — compare substantive crime Editor's note: Some states require an overt act in addition to the agreement to constitute conspiracy. chain conspiracy : a conspiracy in which the conspirators act separately and successively (as in distributing narcotics) civil conspiracy : a conspiracy that is not prosecuted as a crime but that forms the grounds for a lawsuit criminal conspiracy : a conspiracy prosecuted as a crime
2 : a group of conspirators
Origin and Etymology of conspiracy
Latin conspiratio, from conspirare to conspire — see conspire
Learn More about conspiracy
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for conspiracy Spanish Central: Translation of conspiracy Nglish: Translation of conspiracy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of conspiracy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about conspiracy
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