conspiracy

[ kuhn-spir-uh-see ]

noun

, plural con·spir·a·cies.

1. the act of conspiring.

   Synonyms: sedition, collusion

2. an unlawful, harmful, or evil plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
3. a combination of persons for such an unlawful, harmful, or evil purpose:

   He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.

4. Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
5. any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.

conspiracy

/ kənˈspɪrəsɪ; kənˌspɪrəˈtɔːrɪəl /

noun

1. a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, esp with political motivation; plot
2. the act of making such plans in secret

Derived Forms

• conˌspiraˈtorially, adverb
• conˈspirator, noun
• conspiratorial, adjective

Other Words From

• con·spir·a·tive adjective
• con·spir·a·to·ri·al [k, uh, n-spir-, uh, -, tawr, -ee-, uh, l], con·spir·a·to·ry adjective
• pre·con·spir·a·cy noun plural preconspiracies

Word History and Origins

Origin of conspiracy¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English conspiracie, probably from Anglo-French; conspire, -acy; replacing Middle English conspiracioun; conspiration

Synonym Study

Conspiracy, plot, intrigue, cabal all refer to surreptitious or covert schemes to accomplish some end, most often an evil one. A conspiracy usually involves a group entering into a secret agreement to achieve some illicit or harmful objective: a vicious conspiracy to control prices. A plot is a carefully planned secret scheme, usually by a small number of persons, to secure sinister ends: a plot to seize control of a company. An intrigue usually involves duplicity and deceit aimed at achieving either personal advantage or criminal or treasonous objectives: the petty intrigues of civil servants. Cabal refers either to a plan by a small group of highly-placed persons to overthrow or control a government, or to the group of persons themselves: a cabal of powerful lawmakers.

Example Sentences

Then on Thursday, Trump named Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vociferous vaccine skeptic who has promoted false conspiracy theories concerning healthcare, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

From Los Angeles Times

Kennedy is known for pushing conspiracy theories and crank science.

From Salon

These include calling pro-choice protesters fat and ugly, defending the racist and antisemitic “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, and associating with Holocaust deniers.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2022 she posted a video in which she claimed that the Biden administration was attempting to cover up the dangers posed by “pathogens” at “U.S.-funded biolabs” in that country—a sort of mild version of claims about secret Ukrainian biological-weapons development that were being circulated at the time by Carlson, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and the Russian state.

From Slate

Her deeply skeptical views of most U.S. foreign policy, including support for Ukraine, sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad in Syria and embrace of various conspiracy theories has earned her many critics who say that she would not pass muster in a Senate confirmation process.

From Salon

Related Words

• plot
• scheme
• sedition
• treason