conspiracy
Americannoun
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the act of conspiring.
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an unlawful, harmful, or evil plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
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a combination of persons for such an unlawful, harmful, or evil purpose.
He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
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Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
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any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.
noun
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a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, esp with political motivation; plot
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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
Etymology
Origin of conspiracy
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English conspiracie, probably from Anglo-French; see conspire, -acy; replacing Middle English conspiracioun; see conspiration
Explanation
A conspiracy is a secret agreement between two or more people to commit an unlawful or harmful act. A person who believes that the government is secretly controlled by power brokers, in flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution, is an example of a conspiracy theorist. Conspiracy can also refer to the act of planning an unlawful or harmful act: Terrorists might be accused of organizing a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Conspiracy is ultimately from Latin cōnspīrāre "to agree or plot together, literally to breathe together." The corresponding English verb is conspire.
Vocabulary lists containing conspiracy
Power Suffix: -acy
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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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.
Australian police have arrested two men in connection with Dezi Freeman, the conspiracy theorist gunman who was shot dead by police after a seven-month manhunt in March.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
The US embassy said at the time that the Sokha case had been "based on a fabricated conspiracy" and the conviction was a "miscarriage of justice".
From BBC • May 25, 2026
WSJ: What did you learn about fighting conspiracy theories?
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Castillero and Martinsen were both also convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction charges.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
In a conspiracy theory, belief matters more than facts.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
