conspiracy
[ kuhn-spir-uh-see ]
/ kənˈspɪr ə si /
noun, plural con·spir·a·cies.
the act of conspiring.
an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose: He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.
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seclusion
Origin of conspiracy
1325–75; Middle English conspiracie, probably <Anglo-French; see conspire, -acy; replacing Middle English conspiracioun;see conspiration
synonym study for conspiracy
2. Conspiracy, plot, intrigue, cabal all refer to surreptitious or covert schemes to accomplish some end, most often an evil one. A conspiracy usually involves a group entering into a secret agreement to achieve some illicit or harmful objective: a vicious conspiracy to control prices. A plot is a carefully planned secret scheme, usually by a small number of persons, to secure sinister ends: a plot to seize control of a company. An intrigue usually involves duplicity and deceit aimed at achieving either personal advantage or criminal or treasonous objectives: the petty intrigues of civil servants. Cabal refers either to a plan by a small group of highly-placed persons to overthrow or control a government, or to the group of persons themselves: a cabal of powerful lawmakers.
OTHER WORDS FROM conspiracy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for conspiracy
From those days, however, the Conspiratory Movement in Russia began to assume larger proportions.
The Mensheviki contended that the time for secret, conspiratory action was past; that Russia had outgrown that earlier method.
Bolshevism|John SpargoIt was not for conspiratory action, but for the building up of a great movement.
Violence and the Labor Movement|Robert Hunter
British Dictionary definitions for conspiracy
conspiracy
/ (kənˈspɪrəsɪ) /
noun plural -cies
a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, esp with political motivation; plot
the act of making such plans in secret
Derived forms of conspiracy
conspirator, nounconspiratorial (kənˌspɪrəˈtɔːrɪəl) or conspiratory, adjectiveconspiratorially, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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