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Definition of conspire verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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/
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  1. [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.
    Topics War and conflictc2, Crime and punishmentc2
  2. [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.
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French conspirer, from Latin conspirare ‘agree, plot’, from con- ‘together with’ + spirare ‘breathe’.
See conspire in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
ancient
adjective
 
 
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