Adjacent Words

Conspire definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONSPIRE, v.i. [L., to plot; to breathe. But the primary sense is to throw, to wind; hence spira, a fold, circle, wreath or band; and the sense of the verb is, to breathe together, or more probably, to wind or band together.]
1. To agree, by oath, covenant or otherwise, to commit a crime; to plot; to hatch treason.
The servants of Ammon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house. 2 Kings 21.
They conspired against Joseph to slay him. Genesis 37.
2. In law, to agree falsely and maliciously to indict an innocent person of felony.
3. To agree; to concur to one end.
The press, the pulpit, and the stage, conspire to censure and expose our age.
All things conspire to make us prosperous.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together; "They conspired to overthrow the government" [syn: conspire, cabal, complot, conjure, machinate]
2: act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose; "The two companies conspired to cause the value of the stock to fall" [syn: conspire, collude]

Merriam Webster's

verb (conspired; conspiring) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French conspirer, from Latin conspirare to be in harmony, conspire, from com- + spirare to breathe Date: 14th century transitive verb plot, contrive intransitive verb 1. a. to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement <accused of conspiring to overthrow the government> b. scheme 2. to act in harmony toward a common end <circumstances conspired to defeat his efforts>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.intr. 1 combine secretly to plan and prepare an unlawful or harmful act. 2 (often foll. by against, or to + infin.) (of events or circumstances) seem to be working together, esp. disadvantageously. Etymology: ME f. OF conspirer f. L conspirare agree, plot (as com-, spirare breathe)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Conspire Con*spire", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Conspired; p. pr. & vb. n. Conspiring.] [F. conspirer, L. onspirare to blow together, harmonize, agree, plot; con- + spirare to breathe, blow. See Spirit.] 1. To make an agreement, esp. a secret agreement, to do some act, as to commit treason or a crime, or to do some unlawful deed; to plot together. They conspired against [Joseph] to slay him. --Gen. xxxvii. 18. You have conspired against our royal person, Joined with an enemy proclaimed. --Shak. 2. To concur to one end; to agree. The press, the pulpit, and the stage Conspire to censure and expose our age. --Roscommon. Syn: To unite; concur; complot; confederate; league.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Conspire Con*spire", v. t. To plot; to plan; to combine for. Angry clouds conspire your overthrow. --Bp. Hall.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(conspires, conspiring, conspired) 1. If two or more people or groups conspire to do something illegal or harmful, they make a secret agreement to do it. They'd conspired to overthrow the government... ...a defendant convicted of conspiring with his brother to commit robberies... I had a persecution complex and thought people were conspiring against me. = plot V-RECIP: pl-n V to-inf, V with n to-inf, pl-n V against n, also V with n 2. If events conspire to produce a particular result, they seem to work together to cause this result. History and geography have conspired to bring Greece to a moment of decision... But fateful forces beyond the band's control were to conspire against them. = combine VERB: V to-inf, V against n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Co-operate, conduce, tend, concur. 2. Combine (for some evil design), plot, confederate, intrigue, cabal. II. v. a. Plot, contrive, devise, project, compass.

Moby Thesaurus

accord, act in concert, act together, affiliate, agree, ally, amalgamate, angle, associate, band, band together, be in cahoots, be in league, brew, bunch, bunch up, cabal, cement a union, centralize, club, club together, coact, coadunate, coalesce, cogitate, coincide, collaborate, collogue, collude, combine, come together, complot, concert, concoct, concord, concur, confederate, conjoin, connive, consociate, consolidate, contrive, cook up, cooperate, correspond, countermine, counterplot, couple, devise, do business with, engineer, federalize, federate, finagle, finesse, frame, frame up, fuse, gang, gang up, get heads together, get together, go in partners, go in partnership, go partners, hang together, happen together, harmonize, hatch, hatch a plot, hatch up, hold together, hook up, hook up with, intrigue, join, join forces, join fortunes with, join in, join together, join up with, join with, keep together, lay a plot, league, league together, machinate, make common cause, maneuver, marry, merge, operate, organize, pair, pair off, partner, play ball, plot, pull together, put heads together, reciprocate, rig, scheme, stand together, stand up with, synchronize, synergize, team up, team up with, team with, throw in together, throw in with, tie in, tie in with, tie up, tie up with, unionize, unite, unite efforts, unite with, wangle, wed, work together