conspiracy Hear it!

conspiracy Definition

con·spira·cy (kən spir′ə sē)

noun pl. -·cies

  1. a planning and acting together secretly, esp. for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason
  2. the plan agreed on; plot
  3. the group taking part in such a plan
  4. a combining or working together the conspiracy of events

Etymology: ME conspiracie, prob. via ML conspirancia < L conspirare: see conspire

conspiracy Synonyms

conspiracy

n.

plot, intrigue, collusion, connivance; see intrigue 1, plot 1, trick 1. See syn. study at plot.

conspiracy Law Definition

n

  1. An agreement or combination by two or more individuals to commit a crime or to commit a lawful act by unlawful means. Making the agreement is a crime, even if the unlawful act that is planned is never performed, but most states require overt action by one of the conspirators to further the conspiracy before the making of the agreement becomes criminal. A conspiracy to harm someone is also a tort. Also called partnership in crime. See also tortfeasor, concert of action rule, accessory, accomplice, aid and abet, attempt, connivance, conscious parallelism, and solicitation.
  2. Two or more individuals acting together to commit a crime or to commit a lawful act by unlawful means even if they are not aware of each other’s participation or role in the conspiracy. For example, Smith and Jones prepare to commit a crime. Jones enlists Adam’s help. Even though Adams and Smith are unaware of each other’s participation, there is a conspiracy between the two to commit the crime and they will be held liable for each other’s actions.
seditious conspiracy
See sedition.

conspiracy Usage Examples

Preposition: of

silence: Yet there still seems to be a conspiracy of official silence.

Converse of object

  • uncover: Iraqi security forces uncovered the conspiracy and arrested the participants.
  • expose: Mammoth conspiracy exposed, July 1978 / Texaco Monthly Paid Branch, Oilfields Workers ' Trade Union.
  • suspect: Conservatives disparaged the President's commitment to missile defense, suspecting an elaborate conspiracy to deny them the prize they seek.
  • organize: There is no evidence of an organized conspiracy against Labor by the intelligence agencies.
  • suggest: This is not to suggest a conspiracy of silence.

Adjective modifier

  • cosmic: Cosmic Conspiracies has managed to obtain some actual footage of rods which were shown on a news channel from San Diego, USA.
  • sinister: Here there is no shadowy Mr Big playing the puppet master, no sinister criminal conspiracy, serial killers or drug-crazed hitmen.
  • seditious: Fifty-nine men, including Feargus O'Connor and the National Executive of the National Charter Association were charged with seditious conspiracy.
  • Jewish: In his Was the Invasion of Iraq A Jewish Conspiracy?
  • communist: The Freedom Riders, the Bomb, the Communist conspiracy?
  • Zionist: But Wolfowitz's little numbers game can hardly count as a Great Zionist conspiracy.

Modifies a noun

  • theorist: Inside every conspiracy theorist is an optimist, never more than three steps from utopia.
  • theory: Nothing like an even bigger conspiracy theory, is there?
  • thriller: In fact police activity is almost nonexistent in this episode of Paul Abbott's superior conspiracy thriller.
  • nut: Supports what we sinister conspiracy theorist nuts have been saying - it's all about the register, stupid.
  • charge: Twelve young Asians faced conspiracy charges for making gasoline bombs to use against racists.
  • count: The rules as to duplicity apply equally to conspiracy counts.

Noun used with modifier

  • wing: There may well be a right wing conspiracy against Clinton.
  • government: Is there a government conspiracy to keep such encounters secret?