conspiracy

noun

con·​spir·​a·​cy kən-ˈspir-ə-sē 

plural conspiracies

1

: the act of conspiring together

They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.

2

a

: an agreement among conspirators

uncovered a conspiracy against the government

b

: a group of conspirators

a conspiracy made up of disgruntled aristocrats

see also conspiracy theory

Synonyms

• cabal
• crew
• gang
• Mafia
• mob
• ring
• syndicate

Choose the Right Synonym for conspiracy

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

Example Sentences

The CIA uncovered a conspiracy against the government.

They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.

Recent Examples on the Web

Overnight on Monday, Twitter also restored the account of Ron Watkins – a prominent conspiracy theorist who then-President Trump retweeted multiple times in the days before the assault on the Capitol. —Donie O'sullivan, CNN, 10 Jan. 2023

In 2019, another conspiracy theorist tried to set the building on fire. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2022

Greene is a conspiracy theorist who has lied to her constituents about the outcome of the 2020 election, Covid, and climate change. —Tori Otten, The New Republic, 29 Dec. 2022

This was, after all, the year when a conspiracy theorist was held accountable for dispensing cruel lies about a mass shooting of children. —Jena Mcgregor, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022

Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and far-right media personality, scored $200,000. —Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2022

Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and far-right media personality, scored $200,000. —Isaac Stanley-becker And Beth Reinhard, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Dec. 2022

Lindell, the most prominent election conspiracy theorist this side of Mar-a-Lago, has paid tens millions of dollars to conduct baseless investigations of Democratic voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost. —Steven Lemongello, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2022

Doug Jensen, a QAnon conspiracy theorist from Iowa, was convicted of seven federal counts. —CBS News, 16 Dec. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conspiracie, from Latin conspirare — see conspire

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing conspiracy

• conspiracy theory
• counter-conspiracy
• conspiracy of silence
• conspiracy theorist

• conspiracy theory
• counter-conspiracy
• conspiracy of silence
• conspiracy theorist

Kids Definition

conspiracy

noun

con·​spir·​a·​cy kən-ˈspir-ə-sē 

plural conspiracies

1

: the act of conspiring together

2

a

: an agreement among conspirators

b

: a group of conspirators

Legal Definition

conspiracy

noun

con·​spir·​a·​cy kən-ˈspir-ə-sē 

plural 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

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

History and Etymology for conspiracy

Latin conspiratio, from conspirare to conspire see conspire