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

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

You might even call it a conspiracy of silence.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2023

They had never talked about it, because for 75 years there was a conspiracy of silence.

From Slate • May 21, 2022

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

M. Brierre de Boismont thinks the latter guilty of "the conspiracy of silence" in not mentioning him in his work, but I do not think the conspiracy is proved.

From Chapters in the History of the Insane in the British Isles by Tuke, Daniel Hack