conspiracy theory
Americannoun
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a theory that rejects the standard explanation for an event and instead credits a covert group or organization with carrying out a secret plot.
One popular conspiracy theory accuses environmentalists of sabotage in last year's mine collapse.
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a belief that a particular unexplained event was caused by such a covert group.
A number of conspiracy theories have already emerged, purporting to explain last week's disappearance of a commercial flight over international waters.
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the idea that many important political events or economic and social trends are the products of deceptive plots that are largely unknown to the general public.
The more I learn about the activities of intelligence agencies, the less far-fetched I find many geopolitical conspiracy theories.
noun
Usage
What does conspiracy theory mean? A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an event that claims it was the result of a secret and often complex and evil plot by multiple people.Conspiracy theories and the conspiracy theorists who promote or formulate them often reject the standard or accepted explanation of unexplained or unusual events and claim that they are the doing of evil conspirators secretly conspiring behind the scenes.Conspiracy most commonly means a secret plan by multiple people to do something evil or illegal. Conspiracy can also refer to the act of making such plans—the act of conspiring—or to the group making the plans. The people involved can be called conspirators.In conspiracy theory, the word theory is used in a general way to refer to a proposed explanation that has not been proven. But conspiracy theorists don’t usually treat such theories as just guesses—they often promote them as fact, no matter how bizarre or far-fetched they may be.Most conspiracy theories involve supposedly secret knowledge of the supposedly secret and evil dealings of powerful people, especially politicians, government officials, billionaires, and celebrities. Such plots are often claimed to have the goal of controlling world events and ordinary people.Example: Why are several supposedly legitimate news outlets promoting conspiracy theories that have been repeatedly debunked?
Other Word Forms
- conspiracy theorist noun
Etymology
Origin of conspiracy theory
First recorded in 1905-10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I was struck over and over by similarities between their times and ours, including: countrywide divisions, political name-calling, competing media outlets, new technologies, conspiracy theories, an addiction crisis, a pandemic, and the emphasis on fame.
From Literature
The “deception added fuel to the later conspiracy theories,” the CIA study said.
Often, she has to listen to the most outlandish conspiracy theories and, on one occasion, she recalls being verbally abused.
From BBC
Subsequent works "The House on the Lake" or "The Department of Truth" have tackled human survival and conspiracy theories, helping turn Tynion into one of the top-selling independent American comics creators across all genres.
From Barron's
I thought my brother was just spouting conspiracy theories, but the way both men shove their hand in their pockets looks super suspicious.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
