DictionaryAI

conspiracy

kuhn-SPEER-uh-see/kənˈspɪɹəsi/

Pluralconspiracies

Verbconspiracies, conspiracying, conspiracied

9 meanings of conspiracy

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    A secret plan by several people to do something harmful or wrong.

    Like a secret team plan, but the goal is to hurt someone or break a rule.

    The workers uncovered a conspiracy to steal money from the company.

    Their conspiracy fell apart when one member told the police.

    Similarplot, scheme, intrigue, collusion, cabal

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable or uncountable
    A plan made by two or more people to break the law later on.

    Like two people secretly agreeing to break a rule before they actually do it.

    The two men were charged with conspiracy after planning the robbery.

    Police arrested the group for conspiracy to smuggle drugs across the border.

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable
    A secret agreement between people to do something together.

    Like a secret promise among friends to do something together.

    The siblings formed a little conspiracy to plan their parents' surprise party.

    There was a quiet conspiracy among the staff to keep the news hidden.

    Similarplot, scheme

    Note
  4. 4
    nouncountable
    An agreement to work together to make something happen.

    Like everyone quietly teaming up to make one thing happen.

    It took a happy conspiracy of friends to pull off the wedding.

    A small conspiracy among the team made the whole project a success.

    Similarcollaboration, cooperation

    Note
  5. 5
    nounnonstandardcountable
    A belief that a secret group is behind some event, often without proof.

    Like blaming a hidden group for something, even without real proof.

    He shared a wild conspiracy about the moon landing online.

    That conspiracy about the election has been proven false many times.

    Note
  6. 6
    nouncountable
    In language study, a case where separate rules lead to the same kind of result.

    Like several different roads that all lead to the same town.

    A conspiracy of sound rules keeps these words from ever ending in two consonants.

    Students learned how a conspiracy of grammar rules shapes the same word ending.

    Note
  7. 7
    verbnonstandardintransitive
    To secretly work together to plan something.
    “What are you two conspiracying about up here?” asked Kira, walking up next to me.
    2019, Vincent Trigili, Rise of the Goblin KingHere, conspiracying means secretly planning together.
    He knew I would come for him when I discovered what he did, so he, he conspiracied to put me in prison.
    2007, Brian Francis Slattery, Spaceman Blues: A Love SongHere, conspiracied means secretly plotted with others.

    Similarconspire, plot, scheme, collude

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 8
    nounrarecollectivecountable
    A group of ravens gathered together.

    Like calling a group of wolves a pack, but for ravens.

    A conspiracy of ravens settled on the bare oak at dusk.

    We watched a conspiracy of ravens circle the open field.

    Note
  2. 9
    nounrarecollectivecountable
    A group of lemurs living or moving together.

    Like calling a group of lions a pride, but for lemurs.

    A conspiracy of lemurs leaped between the tall trees.

    The Oregon Zoo welcomed two red-ruffed lemurs this week, bringing the total number in the conspiracy — the name for a group of lemurs — to seven.
    2018, “Red alert: New lemurs join zoo conspiracy”, in Oregon ZooHere, conspiracy means a group of lemurs.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin cōnspīrātiō, made from 'conspire' plus the ending '-acy'. It came into English through Middle English and Anglo-Norman.