conspiracy

noun

con·​spir·​a·​cy kən-ˈspir-ə-sē How to pronounce conspiracy (audio)
plural conspiracies
1
: the act of conspiring together
They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.
2
a
: an agreement among conspirators
uncovered a conspiracy against the government
b
: a group of conspirators
a conspiracy made up of disgruntled aristocrats

see also conspiracy theory

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for conspiracy

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

Example Sentences

The CIA uncovered a conspiracy against the government. They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.
Recent Examples on the Web Ye has made a series of antisemitic comments in recent weeks, including praising Hitler in an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Thursday. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2022 After praising Adolf Hitler in a Thursday afternoon interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Kanye West took to Twitter to share an image of a swastika intertwined with a Star of David later that night. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2022 On Thursday, West had appeared alongside white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes on InfoWars, hosted by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Tori Otten, The New Republic, 2 Dec. 2022 This week, West praised Adolf Hitler in an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2022 Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones filed for personal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Texas court on Friday, according to court documents. Samantha Beech, CNN, 2 Dec. 2022 The rapper and mogul, who now goes by Ye, sat for an hourslong interview Thursday with disgraced conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who was recently ordered to pay $965 million in damages after spreading lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting. Christian Holub, EW.com, 2 Dec. 2022 Earlier Thursday, Ye appeared on a show by the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and spoke positively about Adolf Hitler. Julia Love, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2022 Alex Jones, the extreme far-right talk-show host and conspiracy theorist, joined the social network. Talal Ansari, WSJ, 1 Dec. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conspiracy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conspiracie, from Latin conspirare — see conspire

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conspiracy was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing conspiracy

Dictionary Entries Near conspiracy

conspiracist

conspiracy

conspiracy of silence

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Conspiracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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Kids Definition

conspiracy

noun
con·​spir·​a·​cy kən-ˈspir-ə-sē How to pronounce conspiracy (audio)
plural conspiracies
1
: the act of conspiring together
2
a
: an agreement among conspirators
b
: a group of conspirators

Legal Definition

conspiracy

noun
con·​spir·​a·​cy kən-ˈspir-ə-sē How to pronounce conspiracy (audio)
plural conspiracies
1
: an agreement between two or more people to commit an act prohibited by law or to commit a lawful act by means prohibited by law
also : the crime or tort of participating in a conspiracy compare substantive crime

Note: Some states require an overt act in addition to the agreement to constitute conspiracy.

— chain conspiracy
: a conspiracy in which the conspirators act separately and successively (as in distributing narcotics)
— civil conspiracy
: a conspiracy that is not prosecuted as a crime but that forms the grounds for a lawsuit
— criminal conspiracy
: a conspiracy prosecuted as a crime
2
: a group of conspirators

History and Etymology for conspiracy

Latin conspiratio, from conspirare to conspire see conspire

More from Merriam-Webster on conspiracy

Nglish: Translation of conspiracy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of conspiracy for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about conspiracy

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