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
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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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An answer to his troubles appears in the arrival of an apparently homeless conspiracy theorist (DJ Qualls), who shows up at the hotel asking for a room but lacks any proper identification.
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A North Dakota sheriff who abruptly resigned has been arrested on felony counts of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine and bribery.
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He was convicted by a jury in February 2015 of seven criminal counts including conspiracy and drug trafficking, in a case that exposed the criminal potential of the Internet’s vast underbelly.
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This season involves the greatest conspiracy yet, with the Secretary of State and various law-enforcement officials smoothly selling outrageous lies (the convenience-store explosion, the Masterson cover-up).
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They’re charged with attempting to remove a firearm from a law enforcement officer, second-degree conspiracy and offensive touching.
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David Johnson IV is charged with murder and Woods with conspiracy to commit murder in that case.
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His promotion of the conspiracy theory, which would undercut reports of Russian interference in the presidential race, has provoked outrage in an era where misinformation, particularly in partisan news bubbles, remains a tremendous concern.
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The max penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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
First Known Use: 14th century
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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