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conspirator

conspirator

36 6.2
A person who secretly plans with others to do something illegal or harmful
  • noun
  • /kənˈspɪrɪtər/
translation icon : conspirador
  • The group of conspirators plotted to overthrow the government in secret.
  • conspirator and accomplice
  • alleged conspirators
  • trial of conspirators

OK, so for one, Gaius Paiso was a conspirator against Nero, OK?

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Examples

  • The rebel conspirators are overjoyed.

  • The largest sentence given to any of these conspirators was ten years in prison.

    Academic text (1995)
  • And finally, a third conspirator was arrested this morning.

  • On the page is a name of a previously unknown conspirator, Thomas Gates.

  • And the same time the six conspirators met... one hundred years ago.

  • Call out the names of the conspirators.

  • A group of Republican conspirators strike down the man who thought he was a god.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Ramesses ordered the trial of the conspirators, but died soon after it began.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Brutus decided that for their own safety, none of the conspirators should attend the meeting.

  • More nests of conspirators and saboteurs have been uncovered... and further arrests are expected shortly.

Synonyms

accomplice
vsconspirator
172 6.7

Person who helps another person commit a crime

is involved in the secret plan itself rather than only assisting one person
plotter
vsconspirator
11 6.4

A person who plans a secret illegal or harmful act

is involved in such plans but not necessarily the main planner
designer
vsconspirator
  • Archaic
11 8.2

A person who plans secret actions to harm or cheat others

is involved in a secret illegal plan rather than only creating the scheme
schemer
vsconspirator
  • Offensive
9 7.0

A person who secretly plans to get what they want by tricking others

is defined by involvement in a harmful secret plan rather than personal aims
coconspirator
vsconspirator
  • Jargon
7 7.3

A person who helps plan something illegal with others

is any person involved in a secret harmful or illegal plan
collaborator
vsconspirator
  • Offensive
3 5.6

A person who helps someone secretly, often in a crime

is involved specifically in a secret plan to cause harm or illegality
conniver
vsconspirator
  • Formal
1 8.4

A person who secretly plans and helps with illegal actions

is involved in the secret plan rather than just passive cooperation
contriver
vsconspirator
1 8.3

A person who thinks up clever plans or ideas

focuses on involvement in an illegal or harmful secret plan rather than cleverness
intriguer
vsconspirator
1 8.9

A person who secretly plans to trick others for personal gain

is part of a secret illegal plan, not only driven by personal gain
cabalist
vsconspirator
1 9.9

A person who takes part in secret plots by a small group

is any person involved in a secret harmful plan, group or not
combinator
vsconspirator
1 9.9

A person who secretly puts different groups together to gain advantage

is specifically tied to harmful or illegal secret planning rather than strategy alone
machinator
vsconspirator
  • Formal
9.9

A person who secretly plans to harm or trick others

is involved in the secret plan rather than only designing plots
colluder
vsconspirator
8.5

A person who secretly helps others do something illegal

is a broader participant in a secret harmful plan rather than only collusion

Antonyms

63 3.4

Following the law and not breaking rules

How Involved

to mastermind
22 7.4
accomplice
172 6.7
conspirator
36 6.2
associate
533 3.2
bystander
84 3.4

Surface Forms

conspirator singular
conspirators plural

Morphology

conspirator = conspire (transparent) = conspire + ator

The meaning is a straightforward agentive formation from the verb 'conspire' plus the agentive suffix '-ator'; learners who know 'conspire' can infer 'conspirator'.

Etymology

Conspirator comes from Latin parts con- 'together' and spirare 'to breathe', the same breath root you see in inspire 'to breathe into', so it originally meant people who 'breathed together'. That image helps: a conspirator is someone who joins a secret plan, often to do something illegal.