conspiracy
noun
con·spir·a·cy
kən-ˈspir-ə-sē 
plural conspiracies
1
: the act of conspiring together
They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.
2
a
: an agreement among conspirators
uncovered a conspiracy against the government
b
: a group of conspirators
a conspiracy made up of disgruntled aristocrats
see also conspiracy theory
Examples of conspiracy in a Sentence
The CIA uncovered a conspiracy against the government.
They were accused of conspiracy to commit murder.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kennedy has pushed a number of public health conspiracies, most prominently around vaccines, and has advocated for other positions that are generally out of the mainstream, such as more availability of unpasteurized milk.
—
Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Now, three city and county officials have been named in a federal indictment on conspiracy and bribery charges.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
The alleged conspiracy ultimately descended into a shooting and murder in Los Angeles some two years ago that left his rival’s family member dead, authorities said.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
October 25 court documents show US marshals were ordered to transport Lil Durk from the Broward County Jail in Florida to federal custody in California where he is charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for conspiracy 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Now, three city and county officials have been named in a federal indictment on conspiracy and bribery charges.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
The alleged conspiracy ultimately descended into a shooting and murder in Los Angeles some two years ago that left his rival’s family member dead, authorities said.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
October 25 court documents show US marshals were ordered to transport Lil Durk from the Broward County Jail in Florida to federal custody in California where he is charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for conspiracy
Dictionary Entries Near conspiracy
Cite this Entry
“Conspiracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conspiracy
noun
con·spir·a·cy
kən-ˈspir-ə-sē
plural conspiracies
1
: the act of conspiring together
2
a
: an agreement among conspirators
b
: a group of conspirators
Legal Definition
conspiracy
noun
con·spir·a·cy
kən-ˈspir-ə-sē
plural conspiracies
1
: an agreement between two or more people to commit an act prohibited by law or to commit a lawful act by means prohibited by law
also
: the crime or tort of participating in a conspiracy compare substantive crime
Note: Some states require an overt act in addition to the agreement to constitute conspiracy.
—
chain conspiracy
: a conspiracy in which the conspirators act separately and successively (as in distributing narcotics)
—
civil conspiracy
: a conspiracy that is not prosecuted as a crime but that forms the grounds for a lawsuit
—
criminal conspiracy
: a conspiracy prosecuted as a crime
2
: a group of conspirators
Etymology
Latin conspiratio, from conspirare to conspire see conspire
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share