conspirator

American  

[kuhn-spir-uh-ter] / kənˈspɪr ə tər /

noun

1. a person who takes part in a conspiracy; plotter.

   Synonyms:

   conniver, schemer, traitor

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Usage

What does conspirator mean? A conspirator is someone engaged in a conspiracy—a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal. The word conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. In a legal context, conspiracy refers to an agreement by two or more people to commit a crime. In any of these cases, the people involved can be called conspirators. The word co-conspirator refers to a fellow conspirator—a conspirator conspiring with one or more other conspirators in a conspiracy. But, by itself, the word conspirator always implies that there are multiple people involved—there is never a single conspirator. 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 conspirators. 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. Example: This isn’t the work of one man—it’s a conspiracy, and there are more conspirators than you think!

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonconspirator
  noun
• preconspirator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of conspirator

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English conspiratour, from Anglo-French, from Latin conspīrātor, from conspīrā(tus) “united, acted in harmony” (past participle of conspīrāre; see conspire) + -tor -tor

Explanation

A conspirator sneaks around making plans to commit crimes with other people. A conspirator’s plans are often politically motivated, and not always illegal but always secret and sneaky. You know how some people think that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax or that everything is controlled by alien lizard people? No? Well, people who see secret plots everywhere believe in conspiracies, and anyone involved in a conspiracy is a conspirator. However, many conspirators are real and part of everyday plots, like to rob a bank. All conspirators work in secret to commit crimes. Any crime involving more than one person will have conspirators.

Example Sentences

She said her brother’s candor about the army—raising questions about such thorny issues as widespread corruption—led counterintelligence to target him as a conspirator against the regime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Both Indyke and Khan deny this and have told the BBC the estate has not paid the legal fees of "any known conspirator in Epstein's crimes".

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

He provided raw FBI investigative documents to the White House and burned documents from Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt’s White House safe.

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2025

They testified that Kelly was a conspirator, pointing to videos he filmed on his phone while allegedly casing Morris’ apartment complex.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2025

The recovery of this letter, which Booth had carelessly—perhaps on purpose?—let fall into the hands of the manhunters was obviously addressed to the actor by an unknown conspirator.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• accomplice
• collaborator
• plotter
• traitor