conspiracy
Americannoun
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conspiracies
plural
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the act of conspiring.
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an unlawful, harmful, or evil plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
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a combination of persons for such an unlawful, harmful, or evil purpose.
He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
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Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
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any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.
noun
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a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, esp with political motivation; plot
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the act of making such plans in secret
Usage
What does conspiracy mean? Conspiracy most commonly means a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal. Conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. The people involved can be called conspirators. In a legal context, conspiracy refers to an agreement by two or more people to commit a crime. 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 people. 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. Both conspiracy and conspiracy theory are often used in the context of politics. Example: This isn’t the work of one man—it’s a conspiracy, and there are more people in on it than you think!
Synonym Usage
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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
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conspiratornoun
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preconspiracynoun
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conspirativeadjective
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conspiratorialadjective
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conspiratoryadjective
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conspiratoriallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of conspiracy
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English conspiracie, probably from Anglo-French; see conspire, -acy; replacing Middle English conspiracioun; see conspiration
Explanation
A conspiracy is a secret agreement between two or more people to commit an unlawful or harmful act. A person who believes that the government is secretly controlled by power brokers, in flagrant violation of the U.S. Constitution, is an example of a conspiracy theorist. Conspiracy can also refer to the act of planning an unlawful or harmful act: Terrorists might be accused of organizing a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Conspiracy is ultimately from Latin cōnspīrāre "to agree or plot together, literally to breathe together." The corresponding English verb is conspire.
Vocabulary lists containing conspiracy
Power Suffix: -acy
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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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.
See Examples For:
Concertgoers flooded social media with their bizarre conspiracy theories after seeing the star perform at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, claiming that the singer secretly hired a lookalike to take his place during the performance.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
And everyone says, “Ooh, yummy Ottolenghi,” and everybody goes home and does the same thing next time and it’s all a huge conspiracy to destroy people’s ability to cook.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
The grand jury indicted Beirich, a 59-year-old in Palm Springs, Calif., on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank, prosecutors said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
With people isolated and bored at home during the lockdown, many were more willing to engage in conspiracy theory content the runs rampant online.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
It was Smith who had first suspected that Lizzie was poisoned, and he who had investigated whether there was a larger conspiracy connected to the family’s oil wealth.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Cultural obsession with UFO conspiracies has renewed in recent years, bolstered by government initiatives and celebrity support.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
He spoke about the press, about conspiracies, about his enemies.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
I feel like I know a lot of people who might just casually buy into conspiracies, almost innately.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
"These conspiracies are attractive for a host of reasons including that they are linked to the allure of having 'secret knowledge' or being aware of things others don't know."
From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026
He started walking again, nattering on and on about plots and conspiracies and battle plans and secrets, but truth be told, my mind drifted.
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
