conspiracy

An agreement, either explicit or unspoken, among members of a group to keep secret certain information that, if exposed, could be damaging to the group, its interests, or its associates. Knowing that public knowledge of their imminent takeover by the rival company could jeopardize their continued employment thereafter, the board of directors agreed to a strict conspiracy of silence until the deal was finalized. The doctors in the hospital were engaged in a tacit conspiracy of silence, as each knew that bringing to light their colleague's misbehavior could end up damaging their own reputations in the process. I respect the need for the police, but it's hard to trust them completely when they so often abide by a conspiracy of silence.

In law, an offense marked by an agreement or contract one makes with or among others to murder someone else. The emails between himself and the other suspects gave the prosecution enough evidence to charge them all with conspiracy to commit murder. Based on the prosecution's damning evidence, I'm not surprised the three roommates were sentenced for conspiracy to commit murder. Just because the husband survived doesn't mean that the wife and her lover won't be charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

In law, an offense marked by an agreement or contract one makes with or among others to murder someone else. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. The emails between himself and the other suspects gave the prosecution enough evidence to charge them all with conspiracy to murder. Based on the prosecution's damning evidence, I'm not surprised the three roommates were sentenced for conspiracy to murder. Just because the husband survived doesn't mean that the wife and her lover won't be charged with conspiracy to murder.

A network of people alleged by conspiracy theorists who secretly rule a democratically elected government by functioning out of public view in its various agencies. And how do these people plan to prove that the US has a deep state with more power than the president? Good luck talking some sense into Uncle Ned—he's really gotten into conspiracy theories about the deep state. Listen, Mom, I don't have time to worry about deep state operatives when I've got one-year-old triplets to take care of!

A tacit or explicit agreement to keep something secret. For example, In this state's medical society there is a conspiracy of silence regarding incompetent practitioners . This term was first used as a complaint about lack of attention, but today it more often refers to remaining silent about something unfavorable or criminal. [Late 1800s]

If there is a conspiracy of silence, people who know about something have agreed that they will not tell anyone about it. Detectives have run into a conspiracy of silence in the close communities here.

An agreement, either tacit or explicit, to disclose nothing about an individual or situation. The term nearly always refers to disclosing something unfavorable, or even criminal. For example, physicians often have been accused of protecting an incompetent member of their profession by keeping quiet. Dating from the late nineteenth century, the term at first was used by individuals complaining of lack of attention. The poet Lewis Morris reportedly complained to Oscar Wilde that a conspiracy of silence prevented his works from being reviewed and asked what he should do, whereupon Wilde replied, “Join it.”