conspiracy

[ kuhn-spir-uh-see ]

See synonyms for: conspiracy conspiratorial on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural con·spir·a·cies.

the act of conspiring.
an unlawful, harmful, or evil plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.

a combination of persons for such an unlawful, harmful, or evil purpose: He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.

Origin of conspiracy

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English conspiracie, probably from Anglo-French; see conspire, -acy; replacing Middle English conspiracioun; see conspiration

synonym study For conspiracy

2. 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 words for conspiracy

1	collusion, sedition

See synonyms for conspiracy on Thesaurus.com

Other words from conspiracy

con·spir·a·tive, adjective
con·spir·a·to·ri·al [kuhn-spir-uh-tawr-ee-uhl], /kənˌspɪr əˈtɔr i əl/, con·spir·a·to·ry, adjective
pre·con·spir·a·cy, noun, plural pre·con·spir·a·cies.

Words Nearby conspiracy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use conspiracy in a sentence

The story is told from multiple perspectives, and gradually zeros in on a conspiracy that explains all the events.
Two historical mystery novels plunge readers into the past while keeping them guessing | Clare McHugh | February 8, 2021 | Washington Post
Defendants engaged in a conspiracy to spread disinformation about Smartmatic.
Republicans can run from accountability, but they can’t hide | Jennifer Rubin | February 5, 2021 | Washington Post
Eleven House Republicans joined Democrats to take the conspiracy theory-promoting lawmaker off her committee assignments.
The Marjorie Taylor Greene committee removal vote, explained | Gabby Birenbaum | February 5, 2021 | Vox
There was a conspiracy unfolding behind the scenes, one that both curtailed the protests and coordinated the resistance from CEOs.
The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election | Molly Ball | February 4, 2021 | Time
The Internet-born conspiracy theory is now a real-world movement, labeled a domestic terrorism threat by the FBI.
Democratic attack ads misleadingly link swing-district Republicans to QAnon | Salvador Rizzo | February 4, 2021 | Washington Post

But at the heart of this “Truther” conspiracy theory is the idea that “someone” wants to destroy Bill Cosby.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Cosby conspiracy theorists share a perspective born of a long, pained history of American racism.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
But those strands of his identity are all wound around the conspiracy that led him back to Gambia for the first time in 23 years.
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country | Jacob Siegel | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
That plane still has not been found, sparking much speculation and many conspiracy theories.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370 | Lennox Samuels | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But his motives for shooting John Paul II have remained a mystery shrouded in multiple conspiracy theories.
Pope-Shooter Ali Agca’s Very Weird Vatican Visit | Barbie Latza Nadeau | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen Leacock
He sympathized with that movement which, during his childhood, culminated in the Cavite conspiracy (vide p. 106).
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
But when you are there, the awful secret of conspiracy will not be revealed in caverns, dungeons, and darkness.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porter
Scarcely a year passed in which his name was not connected with some conspiracy to overthrow the First Consul.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The law still branded as conspiracy any united attempt of workingmen to raise wages or to shorten the hours of work.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for conspiracy

conspiracy

/ (kənˈspɪrəsɪ) /

nounplural -cies

a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, esp with political motivation; plot
the act of making such plans in secret

Derived forms of conspiracy

conspirator, noun
conspiratorial (kənˌspɪrəˈtɔːrɪəl) or conspiratory, adjective
conspiratorially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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