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

Examples of conspiracy in a Sentence

The CIA uncovered a conspiracy against the government.

They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.

Recent Examples on the Web

The plaintiffs alleged that the petroleum companies also had participated in a conspiracy to deny that climate change is happening and to convince the public to keep using fossil fuels. —Katie Langford, Denver Post, 12 May 2025

He was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records, and 17 counts of false statements. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 12 May 2025

The indictment charges them with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 10 May 2025

Tangent Pirro’s ex-husband, Albert, was pardoned by Trump in 2021, decades after he was convicted of 34 counts of conspiracy and tax evasion. —Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

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

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

Etymology

Latin conspiratio, from conspirare to conspire see conspire