conspiracy of silence

American  

noun

1. a usually secret or unstated agreement to remain silent among those who know something whose disclosure might be damaging, harmful, or against their own best interest or that of their associates.

---

conspiracy of silence Idioms  

1. A tacit or explicit agreement to keep something secret. For example, In this state's medical society there is a conspiracy of silence regarding incompetent practitioners. This term was first used as a complaint about lack of attention, but today it more often refers to remaining silent about something unfavorable or criminal. [Late 1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of conspiracy of silence

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conspiracy of silence

An influential think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, points to what it calls a "conspiracy of silence" about the tough decisions required after the election.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2024

Afterward, a conspiracy of silence stifled discussion of the Holocaust among survivors and their families, as though their own persecution were a shameful secret.

From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2023

You might even call it a conspiracy of silence.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2023

Instead, Falwell “furthered the conspiracy of silence and negotiated a 2019 Employment Agreement that contained a higher salary from Liberty,” the suit said.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 16, 2021

But we, too, are compelled to join this conspiracy of silence and suppression, and to lie in the interests of the delicate believers whose faith cannot stand the least strain.

From How the Bible was Invented A Lecture Delivered Before the Independent Religious Society by Mangasarian, M. M. (Mangasar Mugurditch)