conspire
verb /kənˈspaɪə(r)/
/kənˈspaɪər/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they conspire | /kənˈspaɪə(r)/ /kənˈspaɪər/ |
| he / she / it conspires | /kənˈspaɪəz/ /kənˈspaɪərz/ |
| past simple conspired | /kənˈspaɪəd/ /kənˈspaɪərd/ |
| past participle conspired | /kənˈspaɪəd/ /kənˈspaɪərd/ |
| -ing form conspiring | /kənˈspaɪərɪŋ/ /kənˈspaɪərɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] to secretly plan with other people to do something illegal or harmful
- conspire (with somebody) (against somebody) They were accused of conspiring against the king.
- conspire (together) (to do something) They deny conspiring together to smuggle drugs.
- conspire (with somebody) (to do something) She admitted conspiring with her lover to murder her husband.
- [intransitive] (of events) to seem to work together to make something bad happen
- conspire against somebody/something Circumstances had conspired against them.
- conspire to do something Everything conspired to make her life a misery.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French conspirer, from Latin conspirare ‘agree, plot’, from con- ‘together with’ + spirare ‘breathe’.