— conspirative , adj. — conspiratorial /keuhn spir'euh tawr"ee euhl, -tohr"-/ , conspiratory , adj. — conspiratorially , adv.
/keuhn spir"euh see/ , n. , pl. conspiracies .
1. the act of conspiring.
2. an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.
3. a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose: He joined the conspiracy to overthrow the government.
4. Law. an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act.
5. any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.
[ 1325-75; ME conspiracie, prob. conspiracioun; see CONSPIRATION ]
Syn. 1. collusion, sedition. 2. CONSPIRACY, PLOT, INTRIGUE, CABAL all refer to surreptitious or covert schemes to accomplish some end, most often an evil one. A CONSPIRACY usually involves a group entering into a secret agreement to achieve some illicit or harmful objective: a vicious conspiracy to control prices. A PLOT is a carefully planned secret scheme, usually by a small number of persons, to secure sinister ends: a plot to seize control of a company.
An INTRIGUE usually involves duplicity and deceit aimed at achieving either personal advantage or criminal or treasonous objectives: the petty intrigues of civil servants. CABAL refers either to a plan by a small group of highly-placed persons to overthrow or control a government, or to the group of persons themselves: a cabal of powerful lawmakers.