conspiracy

noun con·spir·a·cy \ kən-ˈspir-ə-sē \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: conspiracy in a Sentence

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

Oleg Sentsov, a vocal opponent of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, was sentenced in 2015 to 20 years for conspiracy to commit terror acts.

— Washington Post, "Jailed Ukrainian filmmaker’s mother asks Putin to pardon him," 13 July 2018
Following FourWinds’ demise, Jacobs and two other company officials were charged and each quickly agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

— patrick danner, San Antonio Express-News, "FourWinds bookkeeper who testified against Uresti sentenced to year in prison camp," 11 July 2018
What Ahrens did with those two bank accounts earned her convictions on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Those threatening scam IRS phone calls? Somebody's going to jail for them," 10 July 2018
Morrow pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

— j.c. reindl, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan fund backs questionable bid for scandal-plagued cemeteries," 4 July 2018
Each defendant is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud.

— jon lender, courant.com, "2 Indicted In Scheme To Defraud State Employees' Pharmacy Benefits Program," 28 June 2018
But who are these conspiracy-minded internet sleuths spreading misinformation?

— emma grey ellis, WIRED, "Here’s One Way to Reform an Internet Conspiracy Theorist," 27 June 2018
Each is charged with a single count of conspiracy to restrain trade in violation of antitrust law.

— patricia hurtado, Bloomberg.com, "Ex-HSBC Trader Will Have to Put Up More Money to Get Out of Jail," 26 June 2018
At the trial where the leader was convicted and sentenced to 18 years for conspiracy to commit murder, Amani was the first to testify against him.

— jeff truesdell, PEOPLE.com, "The Most Outrageous Cult You’ve Never Heard of: A Beheading and Circumcisions in the Nation of Yahweh," 22 June 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

conspiracy Synonyms

Synonyms

design, intrigue, machination, plot, scheme;

Related Words

counterconspiracy, counterplot;

frame-up;

manipulation, subterfuge, trickery;

artifice, contrivance, cover-up, dodge, draft, maneuver, stratagem, trick;

cabal, confederacy, ring;

game, gimmick, racket;

ground plan, program, strategy, system;

collusion, complicity, connivance, conniving, conspiration;

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

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

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

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