conspiracy
Americannoun
plural
conspiracies-
the act of conspiring.
-
an unlawful, harmful, or evil plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
-
a combination of persons for such an unlawful, harmful, or evil purpose.
He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
-
Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
-
any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.
noun
-
a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, esp with political motivation; plot
-
the act of making such plans in secret
Usage
What does conspiracy mean? Conspiracy most commonly means a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal.Conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. The people involved can be called conspirators.In a legal context, conspiracy refers to an agreement by two or more people to commit a crime.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 people. 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.Both conspiracy and conspiracy theory are often used in the context of politics.Example: This isn’t the work of one man—it’s a conspiracy, and there are more people in on it than you think!
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- conspirative adjective
- conspirator noun
- conspiratorial adjective
- conspiratorially adverb
- conspiratory adjective
- preconspiracy noun
Etymology
Origin of conspiracy
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English conspiracie, probably from Anglo-French; conspire, -acy; replacing Middle English conspiracioun; conspiration
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Four people face preliminary charges ranging from incitement of hatred to criminal conspiracy in the case.
But their return still set off panicked media coverage and conspiracy theories as well as the demonization of those involved in the rescue.
One doctor never examined her, while another barely spoke to her; either of these issues could invalidate competency declarations and expose medical misconduct, fraud and/or conspiracy.
From MarketWatch
Federal prosecutors later indicted Rozier as part of a broader gambling conspiracy.
From MarketWatch
Kequn and Mwangi, who pleaded not guilty, are being prosecuted for wildlife trafficking without a permit and conspiracy, and face up to seven years in prison, according to their lawyer.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
