when intr, sometimes followed by against:
- to plan or agree on (a crime or harmful act) together in secret
- (intransitive) to act together towards some end as if by design: the elements conspired to spoil our picnic
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•spire /kənˈspaɪr/USA pronunciation
v., -spired, -spir•ing.
con•spir•ing•ly, adv. See -spir-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to agree together, esp. secretly, to do something wrong, evil, or illegal: [no object;
(~ + against + object)]They were conspiring against me.[~ + to + verb (+ object)]conspiring to overthrow the government. - to act or work together toward the same goal: [~ + to + verb]A number of events conspired to keep me from finishing the assignment.[~ + against + object]These events conspired against my finishing on time.
con•spir•ing•ly, adv. See -spir-.
con•spire
(kən spīər′),USA pronunciation v., -spired, -spir•ing.
v.i.
v.t.
con•spir′er, n.
con•spir′ing•ly, adv.
v.i.
- to agree together, esp. secretly, to do something wrong, evil, or illegal:They conspired to kill the king.
- to act or work together toward the same result or goal.
v.t.
- to plot (something wrong, evil, or illegal).
- Latin conspīrāre to act in harmony, conspire, equivalent. to con- con- + spīrāre to breathe; see spirant, spirit
- Middle English 1325–75
con•spir′ing•ly, adv.
- 1. complot, intrigue. See plot. 2. combine, concur, cooperate.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
conspire /kənˈspaɪə/ vb
when intr, sometimes followed by against:
when intr, sometimes followed by against:
'conspire' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
cabal
- collogue
- collude
- complot
- connive
- frame
- intrigue
- plot
- pool
- conjure
- conspiracy
- conspiration
- conspirator
- contrive
- practice
- preconspire