What does conspirator mean?
A conspirator is a person who joins with others in a secret plan, especially one intended to commit an unlawful or harmful act. The word comes from the Latin conspirare, meaning "to breathe together," an image of plotters acting — even breathing — in unison. In modern usage, a conspirator is most often discussed in legal and political contexts: trials of coup plotters, investigations of fraud rings, or historical accounts of assassinations all turn on identifying conspirators. The term carries strong negative connotations, implying secrecy, disloyalty, and usually criminal intent, so calling someone a conspirator is a weighty accusation rather than a neutral description. A related form, co-conspirator, denotes a fellow member of the same plot. Writers also use the word figuratively for anyone complicit in a private scheme, though such lighter uses risk sounding melodramatic.
nounA person who takes part in a conspiracy; one who joins with others in a secret plan to do something unlawful or harmful.
- A person who joins with others in a secret plan to commit an unlawful or harmful act.
- More broadly, a participant in any secret scheme or plot.
"The conspirator was arrested before the plot could be carried out."
"Police identified a third conspirator in the plot to smuggle antiquities out of the country."
"In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, each conspirator around Caesar masks ambition with the language of friendship."
The standard plural adds -s. British legal texts occasionally use the spelling "conspirators" exclusively; no alternative plural is current.
"The conspirators met in a cellar beneath the House of Lords."
The Latin root of "conspirator" literally means "to breathe together" — plotters were imagined as breathing as one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conspirator
Conspirator derives from the Latin verb conspirare, formed from com- ("together") and spirare ("to breathe"), literally "to breathe together." The word entered English via Old French and Anglo-Norman in the late Middle Ages, with the agent noun conspirator attested by the 15th century. It shares its root with conspire, conspiracy, and respire, all ultimately tracing back to the Latin spirare. Cognates appear across the Romance languages, including French conspirateur and Italian cospiratore.
How conspirator is actually used
The word carries strongly negative connotations, implying secrecy and usually criminality, so describing someone as a conspirator is a serious accusation. In legal contexts, a co-conspirator refers specifically to another member of the same alleged plot. The plural may take either -ors or (chiefly in British legal usage) -ours, though -ors is standard in general use.
Easily confused with conspirator
Conspiracy is the secret plan itself, while a conspirator is a person who takes part in it.