conspire

[ kuhn-spahyuhr ]

verb (used without object)

, con·spired, con·spir·ing.

1. to agree together, especially secretly, to do something wrong, evil, or illegal:

   They conspired to kill the king.

   Synonyms: intrigue, complot

2. to act or work together toward the same result or goal:

   The wind and rain conspired to strip the trees of their fall color.

   Synonyms: cooperate, concur, combine

verb (used with object)

, con·spired, con·spir·ing.

1. to plot (something wrong, evil, or illegal).

conspire

/ kənˈspaɪə /

verb

1. to plan or agree on (a crime or harmful act) together in secret
2. intr to act together towards some end as if by design

   the elements conspired to spoil our picnic

Derived Forms

• conˈspiringly, adverb
• conˈspirer, noun

Other Words From

• con·spir·er noun
• con·spir·ing·ly adverb
• non·con·spir·ing adjective
• pre·con·spire verb preconspired preconspiring
• un·con·spired adjective
• un·con·spir·ing adjective
• un·con·spir·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of conspire¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French conspirer, from Latin conspīrāre “to act in harmony, conspire,” equivalent to con- + spīrāre “to breathe”; con-, spirant, spirit

Word History and Origins

Origin of conspire¹

C14: from Old French conspirer, from Latin conspīrāre to plot together, literally: to breathe together, from spīrāre to breathe

Synonym Study

See plot.

Example Sentences

"Here, it helped guide us to think about how the cell density, proliferation rate, signaling, and all these different things conspire."

From Science Daily

When activists first tried to force transparency on the church, the Southern Baptist Convention's lawyer, Augie Boto, accused them of conspiring as part of "a satanic scheme."

From Salon

Most were found guilty of conspiring to attempt subversion, while two were acquitted.

From BBC

Most of the defendants either pleaded guilty or were convicted of conspiring to attempt subversion.

From BBC

“We believe that they all conspired to assassinate Malcolm X, one of the greatest thought leaders of the 20th century,” attorney Ben Crump said at a press conference announcing the filing.

From Salon

Related Words

• collude
• connive
• cooperate

More About Conspire

What does conspire mean?

Conspire commonly means to secretly plan with multiple other people to do something wrong, evil, or illegal.

Such a plan is called a conspiracy. 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 conspiring to commit a crime.

Conspire can also mean to act together to achieve some result. This use often likens inanimate objects to people engaging in a conspiracy, as in I was on time until the traffic and the weather conspired to make me late. 

Example: In the movie, supervillains conspire to steal all of the world’s bananas.

Where does conspire come from?

The first records of the word conspire come from the 1300s. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb conspīrāre, meaning “to act in harmony” or “to conspire.” It comes from the combination of con-, meaning “together,” and spīrāre, “to breathe.”

When people hear the word conspire, they often think of shady people making shady plans in shady backrooms. The word typically implies both secrecy and evil—people who conspire are usually up to no good and they’re trying to hide it.

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 conspiring together. 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.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to conspire?

• conspiracy (noun)
• conspirator (noun)
• conspirer (noun)
• conspiringly (adverb)
• conspiratorial (adjective)

What are some synonyms for conspire?

• plot
• scheme

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

• conspiracy theory
• spirit

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

 

• against
• commit
• multiple
• scheme
• plan
• evil
• secret

How is conspire used in real life?

Conspire is usually used negatively. But it can also be used to refer to people working together in secret to do something that’s not so evil—like when your friends conspire to throw you a surprise party.

The PC affidavit is nearly identical to the one for Chad Daybell. But this page stands out. It says CD, Lori Vallow & Alex Cox conspired to commit crime of concealing & destroying/altering evidence they knew would be produced as evidence in trial. #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/YXeR8SJqzv

— Justin Lum (@jlumfox10) June 30, 2020

How did an ordinary, hard-working American woman end up conspiring with Chinese intelligence agents? https://t.co/mkkMOlFhDr

— The Economist’s 1843 magazine (@1843mag) July 2, 2020

Feeling overwhelmingly lonely for friendship, but college/work/health are always conspiring against me. I'd just love a cup of coffee and a good chat, more then anything.

— Dee Clarke (@dejaysus) February 1, 2020

 

 

Try using conspire!

Is conspire used correctly in the following sentence?

Several top-ranking officials were found to have conspired in the bribery scheme.