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.

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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]

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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

The two matriarchs maintained what was effectively a conspiracy of silence in the presence of the children, keeping the very existence of McCarthy a family secret.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2022

Yet as I moved forward, the show’s indifference to her cross-cultural influences started to feel more like a conspiracy of silence than a choice of emphasis.

From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2021

Not that I charge the said reviewers with being concerned in a deliberate conspiracy of silence against such productions.

From Flowers of Freethought (Second Series) by G. W. (George William) Foote