conspiratorial

adjective

con·​spir·​a·​to·​ri·​al kən-ˌspir-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce conspiratorial (audio)
: of, relating to, or suggestive of a conspiracy
conspiratorially adverb

Examples of conspiratorial in a Sentence

She gave me a conspiratorial smile across the table. His voice became low and conspiratorial.
Recent Examples on the Web An anonymous account that calls itself Autism Capital has also provided a steady stream of analysis and conspiratorial speculation about the trial on X. Much of the legal wrangling has failed to impress Taco. David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023 That can be and sometimes is understood by people on the left in conspiratorial ways. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2023 Then out came Papo, unhinged in the best way: screaming into the mic, bobbing uncontrollably behind the CDJs, taking breaks for conspiratorial monologues. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2023 Isaacson pins the changes at least partly on the pandemic, which drew out Musk’s conspiratorial side, supercharged his Twitter addiction, and amped up his natural mistrust of bureaucratic regulations as covid-19 restrictions hampered Tesla production in California and China. Will Oremus, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023 Performed with winking conspiratorial exuberance by Phil Johnson, Spriggs explains that a real murderer is on the loose and the mode of his (or her) victims’ deaths may have been inspired by the plots of several G&S comedies. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023 But this progress could end up derailed if the policy conversation gets mired in conspiratorial claims. Caitlin McCulloch, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023 There’s a story here about the set of forces that guided Wolf specifically toward the conspiratorial fringe, but also a wider story about the swaths of people who have recently made similar journeys. Laura Marsh, The New Republic, 5 Sep. 2023 Lachlan Murdoch has drawn criticism from media watchdogs for what many called Fox News’ increasingly conspiratorial and misinformation-promoting broadcasts. David Hamilton, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conspiratorial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conspiratorial was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near conspiratorial

Cite this Entry

“Conspiratorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiratorial. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

conspiratorial

adjective
con·​spir·​a·​to·​ri·​al kən-ˌspir-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əl How to pronounce conspiratorial (audio)
-ˈtȯr-
: of or relating to a conspiracy
conspiratorially adverb

Legal Definition

conspiratorial

adjective
con·​spir·​a·​tor·​i·​al kən-ˈspir-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əl How to pronounce conspiratorial (audio)
: of, relating to, or suggestive of a conspiracy
conspiratorially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on conspiratorial

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