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conspiracy

Etymology and origin of the English word conspiracy

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
mid-14th century
Borrowed from
Anglo-Norman conspiracie
Ultimate origin
Latin (spiro)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kənˈspɪɹəsi/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English conspiracie, borrowed from Anglo-Norman conspiracie, an alteration of conspiration,[2][3][4][5] from Latin conspīrātio (“agreement, union, plot”), from conspīrāre (“to agree, unite, plot”), literally to breathe together, from com- (“together”) and spīrāre (“to breathe”) (see conspire).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A plotting of evil, a combination of people for an unlawful purpose: the mid-14th century in Etymonline,[4] about 1386 in the OED.[6] Earlier English had conspiration (early 14th century), and Old English had facengecwis.[4]

Semantic evolution

A band of conspirators is from 1555.[6] Figuratively, a union of persons or things working to one end, as in a conspiracy of circumstances, is from 1538.[6] In law, conspiracy is an agreement to commit a crime (1863).[6][7] Conspiracy theory, the belief that a hidden group is behind some event, is from 1909 in the OED;[6] Etymonline traces general use for theories of secret cabals to 1871 and the pejorative sense to the mid-20th century.[4]

Timeline

  • mid-14th century – a plot.[4]
  • 1538 – a combination to one end.[6]
  • 1555 – a band of conspirators.[6]
  • 1863 – in law.[6]
  • 1909 – conspiracy theory.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful; a plot.
  2. The act of planning such a plot.
  3. (law) An agreement between two or more people to commit a crime.
  4. A combination of events seeming to work together: a conspiracy of silence.

Word family

  • conspirative
  • conspiratorially
  • conspiracist
  • preconspiracy
  • conspiracy of silence
  • conspiracy theory
  • co-conspirator
  • conspirator
  • conspiratorial
  • conspiratorialist
  • conspiration
  • conspire
  • spirit
  • inspire
  • respire

Usage notes

The AHD distinguishes conspiracy, a plan by a group usually aimed at treason or subversion, from plot, machination, collusion, intrigue and cabal.[7]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Conspiracy.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/conspiracy. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·