conspiracy

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noun con·spir·a·cy \ kən-ˈspir-ə-sē \

Definition of conspiracy

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 conspiracy defined for English-language learners

See conspiracy defined for kids

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

John Roberts, of Clarksville, Tennessee, is charged in Nashville with wire fraud, conspiracy to steal and sell government property and violating the Arms Export Control Act.

— kristin m. hall, The Seattle Times, "Federal trial details black market for military equipment," 30 Aug. 2017
All 19 defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison.

— Washington Post, "19 indicted for attacking protesters during Erdogan US visit," 29 Aug. 2017
The company argues this campaign is part of a conspiracy against ExxonMobil conducted by the Rockefeller family.

— the tylt, AL.com, "Should Exxon Mobil be held responsible for misleading the public about climate change?," 29 Aug. 2017
His name echoed daily through a federal courtroom in Cleveland, where one of his donors was standing trial on conspiracy charges.

— chrissie thompson, Cincinnati.com, "The constant re-imagining of Josh Mandel," 27 Aug. 2017
Arpaio also pushed the baseless conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. Whither Judicial Process The pardon earned quick condemnation from Democrats and civil liberties groups.

— toluse olorunnipa, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Pardons Joe Arpaio, Ex-Sheriff Convicted Over Immigration Crackdown," 26 Aug. 2017
Robert Erie, former CEO and co-founder of the defunct E-Word Recyclers, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods at a hearing in San Diego federal court on Feb. 23.

— david hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Man sentenced to prison for trafficking in counterfeit goods," 21 Aug. 2017
David Elliot Moran, 49 and Charles Thomas Newcomb, 45 were convicted of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "KKK Members Working As Prison Guards Convicted In Plot To Murder Black Inmate," 17 Aug. 2017
Dressed in all black and wearing a mask, Poe shot Daniels more than a dozen times in front of his fiancee and two young children as payback for Daniels' cooperation with the FBI in a drug conspiracy case against Chester, authorities alleged.

— gregory pratt, chicagotribune.com, "Hobos gang hit man given three concurrent life sentences in prison," 11 Aug. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

conspiracy Synonyms

Synonyms

cabal, ¹ring, crew, gang, Mafia, mob, syndicate

Related Words

bunch, circle, clan, clique, coterie, coven, crowd, galère, lot, network, pack, set; junta, oligarchy

Synonym Discussion of 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

CONSPIRACY Defined for English Language Learners

conspiracy

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noun

Definition of conspiracy for English Language Learners

: a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal
: the act of secretly planning to do something that is harmful or illegal

CONSPIRACY Defined for Kids

conspiracy

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noun con·spir·a·cy \ kən-ˈspir-ə-sē \

Definition of conspiracy for Students

plural 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

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noun con·spir·a·cy \ kən-ˈspir-ə-sē \

legal Definition of conspiracy

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