What does complot mean?
Complot is a now-rare English word meaning a secret plot or conspiracy — a scheme hatched jointly by a group, usually with treacherous or unlawful intent. It can also serve as a verb, meaning to conspire together. The word entered English in the sixteenth century, borrowed from French, and enjoyed its greatest currency in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras: Shakespeare employs it in plays such as Hamlet and Richard III to evoke whispered treason and hidden designs. Today complot survives mostly in historical prose, literary criticism, and the vocabulary of enthusiasts of archaic diction, where its slightly exotic sound lends atmosphere. Its connotations are uniformly dark — intrigue, betrayal, cabal — making it a more ornate alternative to the ordinary word plot. For readers encountering it, context almost always signals conspiracy: courtiers, rebels, or rival factions quietly agreeing on a course of action they wish to conceal.
A secret plot or conspiracy formed by a group of people acting together.
"The Senate uncovered a complot aimed at overthrowing the republic."
Almost always carries a sinister connotation; found mainly in historical and literary contexts.
To conspire together; to form a joint secret plot.
"The officers complotted through the winter to depose their commander."
The plural follows standard noun formation.
"The archives record several complots against the crown during that decade."
Shakespeare used 'complot' — it appears in Hamlet and Richard III — yet this 400-year-old word for conspiracy has all but vanished from everyday English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of complot
Complot was borrowed into English from French in the sixteenth century, where 'complot' denoted a conspiracy or compact between conspirators. The further origin of the French word is uncertain, though it has been linked to Romance verbal forms suggesting a 'joining together' of plotters. The word flourished in English during the late Tudor and early Stuart periods, appearing prominently in Shakespeare, and gradually fell out of common use thereafter, surviving today chiefly in historical and literary registers.
Related word forms
How complot is actually used
Complot is rare and archaic in modern usage, appearing mainly in historical writing and literary contexts; both noun and verb forms carry an unmistakably sinister connotation.
Easily confused with complot
Compile means to gather and assemble material into a whole, whereas complot means a secret plot or the act of conspiring.