conspirator

American  

[kuhn-spir-uh-ter] / kənˈspɪr ə tər /

noun

1. a person who takes part in a conspiracy; plotter.

   Synonyms:

   conniver, schemer, traitor

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Usage

What does conspirator mean? A conspirator is someone engaged in a conspiracy—a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal. The word conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. In a legal context, conspiracy refers to an agreement by two or more people to commit a crime. In any of these cases, the people involved can be called conspirators. The word co-conspirator refers to a fellow conspirator—a conspirator conspiring with one or more other conspirators in a conspiracy. But, by itself, the word conspirator always implies that there are multiple people involved—there is never a single conspirator. 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 conspirators. 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. Example: This isn’t the work of one man—it’s a conspiracy, and there are more conspirators than you think!

Other Word Forms

• nonconspirator
  noun
• preconspirator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of conspirator

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English conspiratour, from Anglo-French, from Latin conspīrātor, from conspīrā(tus) “united, acted in harmony” (past participle of conspīrāre; see conspire) + -tor -tor

Explanation

A conspirator sneaks around making plans to commit crimes with other people. A conspirator’s plans are often politically motivated, and not always illegal but always secret and sneaky. You know how some people think that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax or that everything is controlled by alien lizard people? No? Well, people who see secret plots everywhere believe in conspiracies, and anyone involved in a conspiracy is a conspirator. However, many conspirators are real and part of everyday plots, like to rob a bank. All conspirators work in secret to commit crimes. Any crime involving more than one person will have conspirators.

Example Sentences

The FBI refer to him as "Conspirator A".

From BBC • May 16, 2020

His investigative efforts are chronicled in "The Witness," a documentary that premiered at the New York Film Festival on Tuesday night and is directed by James Solomon, writer of Robert Redford's Lincoln assassination drama "The Conspirator."

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2015

But in one affidavit, federal investigators neglected to black out the name of Conspirator #2, identifying him as Lee Hall of Virginia.

From Washington Post • Nov. 13, 2013

His last film, The Conspirator in 2010, was also inspired by one of American history’s dark chapters: the trial of Mary Surratt, accused of harboring John Wilkes Booth before and after he shot President Lincoln.

From Time • Sep. 7, 2012

Jacques Kruger as the Judge, Eva Davenport as Abigail, John Brand as the King, and Alf Wheelan as the Conspirator were all happily chosen.

From Famous Prima Donnas by Strang, Lewis Clinton

Related Words

• accomplice
• collaborator
• plotter
• traitor