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
Erik Fleming Erik Fleming, a TV director and former acquaintance of Perry's from Los Angeles' Hawthorne neighborhood, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, per the press release.
—
Jordana Comiter, People.com, 17 June 2025
Former treatment center director Erik Fleming, who was involved in the fatal dose, entered a guilty plea in August to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 June 2025
He was originally charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation, according to the US Attorney’s office.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
On May 15, 2025, the New Jersey Hammonton Police Department arrested Castaneda for burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for conspiracy
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Jordana Comiter, People.com, 17 June 2025
Former treatment center director Erik Fleming, who was involved in the fatal dose, entered a guilty plea in August to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 June 2025
He was originally charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation, according to the US Attorney’s office.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
On May 15, 2025, the New Jersey Hammonton Police Department arrested Castaneda for burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for conspiracy
Cite this Entry
“Conspiracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy. Accessed 21 Jun. 2025.
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
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