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 /

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

The Chicago rapper, whose given name is Durk Banks, was found not guilty of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder for hire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

We aren’t victims, and we shouldn’t scapegoat other minorities or indulge in conspiracy theories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

A Singaporean man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a racketeering conspiracy charge in the US for organising one of the biggest ever cryptocurrency thefts.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Much has been written about the women who support Clancy, including those who have descended into conspiracy theorizing.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026

Lynn rolls her eyes, and he hurries on, probably to avoid hearing Lynns Divergent conspiracy theory again.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

In December, a court in the US also sentenced Oluwaseun Adekoya, a Nigerian ringleader of nationwide bank fraud and money-laundering conspiracies, to 20 years in prison for laundering over $2m.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Cultural obsession with UFO conspiracies has renewed in recent years, bolstered by government initiatives and celebrity support.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 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

"These conspiracies are attractive for a host of reasons including that they are linked to the allure of having 'secret knowledge' or being aware of things others don't know."

From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026

The walls of Hob made a fortress some nights, rescuing them from the feuds and conspiracies.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• plot
• scheme
• sedition
• treason