conspiratorial
Americanadjective
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relating to or being a conspiracy, a secretive plan that is unlawful, harmful, or evil.
They believe these rulings to be the result of a conspiratorial plot cooked up by big business interests.
-
suggesting or giving the impression of such a plan.
The memory I have of that night is of wicked giggles and conspiratorial whispering about Tim with my best friend Gillian.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conspiratorial
conspiratory + -al 1
Explanation
Something that's conspiratorial involves a secret plan with other people. A conspiratorial glance between siblings is bound to make their babysitter nervous. Things done in a conspiratorial way are secretive and sneaky: a meet up between spies is conspiratorial, and several coworkers planning a surprise party for their boss might spend the day communicating in various conspiratorial ways. The adjective comes from its related verb, conspire, "plot," or "make secret plans," from the Latin root conspirare, "to agree, unite, or plot," or literally, "to breathe together."
Vocabulary lists containing conspiratorial
The Devil's Arithmetic
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"The Moustache" and "Who We Really Are"
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Charming as Verb
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bambi, a woman in her late 60s, began consuming conspiratorial media so religiously that she set timers to make sure she didn’t miss podcasts.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
The conspiratorial nature of true crime fanaticism is kept blessedly brief in the three-episode series.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
It’s a treat to see Spielberg enjoying staging this conspiratorial gossip in different film stocks, from the black-and-white noir of 1947 Roswell to the clinical security-camera look of today.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Adopting a comedic conspiratorial tone, he leans in to reveal: "The scene I'm filming tonight, I'm doing something slightly nefarious in some bushes outside. Which could mean anything in this show, frankly."
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
“Well, you know the way to the kitchen,” Callaway said with a conspiratorial wink.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
