conspirator

[ kuhn-spir-uh-ter ]

noun

1. a person who takes part in a conspiracy; plotter.

   Synonyms: conniver, schemer, traitor

Other Words From

• noncon·spira·tor noun
• precon·spira·tor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conspirator¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English conspiratour, from Anglo-French, from Latin conspīrātor, from conspīrā(tus) “united, acted in harmony” (past participle of conspīrāre; conspire ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

“We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media,” Mr. Patel said last year.

From New York Times

The house was demolished after her father, a local politician named Javed Mohammad, was arrested and named as the "key conspirator" of a protest by Muslims, which had turned violent.

From BBC

Austin’s alleged conspirators have been behind bars for more than five years, but until recently Austin’s identity and whereabouts had been unknown.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump spent his first term painting himself as a victim of "deep state" conspirators to justify his fascistic urges and seize more power illegally.

From Salon

The indictment lists dozens of unnamed conspirators who were not charged.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accomplice
• collaborator
• plotter
• traitor

More About Conspirator

What does conspirator mean?

A conspirator is someone engaged in a conspiracy—a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal.

The word conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. In a legal context, conspiracy refers to an agreement by two or more people to commit a crime.

In any of these cases, the people involved can be called conspirators. The word co-conspirator refers to a fellow conspirator—a conspirator conspiring with one or more other conspirators in a conspiracy. But, by itself, the word conspirator always implies that there are multiple people involved—there is never a single conspirator.

A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an event that claims it was the result of a secret and often complex and evil plot by multiple conspirators. People who promote or formulate conspiracy theories often reject the standard or accepted explanation of unexplained or unusual events and claim that they are the doing of evil conspirators secretly conspiring behind the scenes.

Example: This isn’t the work of one man—it’s a conspiracy, and there are more conspirators than you think!

Where does conspirator come from?

The first records of the word conspirator come from around 1400. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb conspīrāre, meaning “to act in harmony” or “to conspire.” This comes from the combination of con-, meaning “together,” and spīrāre, “to breathe.” The suffix -tor indicates an agent of action—in this case, the action of conspiring.

When people hear the word conspirator, they often think of shady people making shady plans in shady backrooms. The word typically implies both secrecy and evil—conspirators are up to no good and they’re trying to hide it. The word is often associated with bizarre conspiracy theories, but some conspiracies are very real. When conspirators plan to commit a crime together, it’s a criminal conspiracy.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to conspirator?

• co-conspirator (noun)
• conspiratorial (adjective)
• conspiratorially (adverb)
• conspiratory (adjective)
• conspire (verb)

What are some synonyms for conspirator?

• conspirer
• plotter

What are some words that share a root or word element with conspirator? 

• conspiracy theory
• spirit

What are some words that often get used in discussing conspirator?

 

• fellow
• multiple
• scheme
• government
• political
• evil
• secret
• hidden
• massive
• cabal

How is conspirator used in real life?

Conspirator is always used negatively. Due to the definition, the word always implies that there is more than one conspirator.

More attacks feared in Sri Lankan capital.

Police say several conspirators in the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 257 are still at largehttps://t.co/AIHNlLEqPN pic.twitter.com/ZQabF6OVUA

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 3, 2019

On this day in 1865: US President Abraham Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington.

Photo: The conspirators, colorized by me. pic.twitter.com/hlqZ8DN4GC

— Marina Amaral (@marinamaral2) April 14, 2019

Believing in the religious/nationalist myth of American exceptionalism means believing any bad thing that happens in the United States is the fault of internal traitors or outside conspirators.

There's a reason millions of Americans are drowning in a paranoid alternate reality.

— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) July 5, 2020

 

 

Try using conspirator!

Is conspirator used correctly in the following sentence?

Several top-ranking officials were named as conspirators.