CONSPIRACY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does conspiracy mean? 

• CONSPIRACY (noun)
  The noun CONSPIRACY has 3 senses:

1. a secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act

2. a plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act (especially a political plot)

3. a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purpose

  Familiarity information: CONSPIRACY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONSPIRACY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

confederacy; conspiracy

Hypernyms ("conspiracy" is a kind of...):

agreement; understanding (the statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conspiracy"):

conspiracy of silence (a conspiracy not to talk about some situation or event)

Derivation:

conspiratorial (relating to or characteristic of conspiracy or conspirators)

conspire (act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act (especially a political plot)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

cabal; conspiracy

Hypernyms ("conspiracy" is a kind of...):

game; plot; secret plan (a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal))

Domain category:

government; political science; politics (the study of government of states and other political units)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "conspiracy"):

Gunpowder Plot (a conspiracy in 1605 in England to blow up James I and the Houses of Parliament to avenge the persecution of Catholics in England; led by Guy Fawkes)

Derivation:

conspire (engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

confederacy; conspiracy

Hypernyms ("conspiracy" is a kind of...):

band; circle; lot; set (an unofficial association of people or groups)

Meronyms (members of "conspiracy"):

coconspirator; conspirator; machinator; plotter (a member of a conspiracy)

Derivation:

conspiratorial (relating to or characteristic of conspiracy or conspirators)

 Context examples 

Or, again, there was that most grotesque affair of the five orange pips, which led straight to a murderous conspiracy.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Anyhow, we shall have you on a charge of conspiracy, if not for attempted murder.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Yes, sir. Fraud, forgery, and conspiracy. He and some others. He set the others on. It was a deep plot for a large sum. Sentence, transportation for life.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“There has been a conspiracy to maim or kidnap my man, and I have every reason to believe that you are privy to it.”

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Another professor showed me a large paper of instructions for discovering plots and conspiracies against the government.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

“Do you know,” said he, “that I begin to believe that I am the unconscious centre of some monstrous conspiracy, and that my life is aimed at as well as my honour?”

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There must have been more men in the conspiracy to murder the captain and mate, for by the sounds I knew that Leach and Johnson had been quickly reinforced by some of their mates.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Judge Scott did not know all things, and he did not know that he was party to a police conspiracy, that the evidence was hatched and perjured, that Jim Hall was guiltless of the crime charged.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Looking slowly round upon us with the darkest and wickedest expression that his face could wear, he said, in a lower voice: Oho! This is a conspiracy! You have met here by appointment!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A very pretty conspiracy this, he cried, with a criminal, an actress, and a prize-fighter all playing their parts.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)