conspiracy

American  

[kuhn-spir-uh-see] / kənˈspɪr ə si /

noun

• conspiracies
  plural

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.

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conspiracy British  

/ 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

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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!

Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• conspirator
  noun
• preconspiracy
  noun
• conspirative
  adjective
• conspiratorial
  adjective
• conspiratory
  adjective
• conspiratorially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• conspiracies
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conspiracy conspiracies

A well-read person grows body armor against the rigid conspiracy theorist, against flat artificial intelligence that manipulates without emotion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

“He’s trying to change the narrative of that day from ‘I fell out of a chair’ to ‘there was a criminal conspiracy I uncovered,’” says Kanin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

With people isolated and bored at home during the lockdown, many were more willing to engage in conspiracy theory content the runs rampant online.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

Three-time cancer survivor and former surgeon Liz O'Riordan now uses YouTube to answer cancer questions and challenge conspiracy theories.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

In the room there was a feeling tense as conspiracy or as the deadly quiet before an explosion.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

So far 100% of identified objects haven’t been alien spacecraft, yet people like Steven Spielberg treat the simple fact of unidentified sightings as proof not only of alien visitation, but of government conspiracies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

What we’ve found is that when prominent media embrace conspiracy theorizing, increased public endorsement of conspiracies will follow.

From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026

I feel like I know a lot of people who might just casually buy into conspiracies, almost innately.

From Slate ● May 7, 2026

Louise Grillmair, similarly, says that - while her husband "would laugh" at speculation that the deaths might be connected - he would also "probably talk statistically" to squelch conspiracies.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

As late as January 1865, with the Confederacy in danger of collapse at any moment, not one of the conspiracies resulted in serious action against Abraham Lincoln.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• plot
• scheme
• sedition
• treason