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conspiracy definition

con·spira·cy (kən spir′ə sē)

noun pl. conspiracies -·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

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

law conspiracy definition - legal

conspiracy Synonyms

conspiracy

n.

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


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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.

Adjective modifier

  • sinister: Here there is no shadowy Mr Big playing the puppet master, no sinister criminal conspiracy, serial killers or drug-crazed hitmen.

Modifies a noun

  • theorist: Inside every conspiracy theorist is an optimist, never more than three steps from utopia.

Noun used with modifier

  • wing: There may well be a right wing conspiracy against Clinton.
conspiracy usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

conspiracy quotes

Civilisation is a conspiracy.

-Buchan,John, 1st BaronTweedsmuir

The great story here†is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president.

-Clinton, Hillary Rodham

Aconspiracy iseverything thatordinary lifeisnot.It'sthe inside game, cold, sure, undistracted, forever closed off to us.We are the flawed ones, the innocents, trying to make some rough sense of the daily jostle.Conspirators have a logic and a daring beyond our reach.

-DeLillo, Don

conspiracy quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"conspiracy." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/conspiracy>

APA Style

conspiracy. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/conspiracy

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