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conspire

 - 4 dictionary results

con⋅spire

  [kuhn-spahyuhr] verb, -spired, -spir⋅ing.
Use conspire in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to agree together, esp. secretly, to do something wrong, evil, or illegal: They conspired to kill the king.
2. to act or work together toward the same result or goal.
–verb (used with object)
3. to plot (something wrong, evil, or illegal).
Origin:
1325–75; ME < L conspīrāre to act in harmony, conspire, equiv. to con- con- + spīrāre to breathe; see spirant, spirit

Related forms:
con⋅spir⋅er, noun
con⋅spir⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. complot, intrigue. See plot. 2. combine, concur, cooperate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To conspire
con·spire   (kən-spīr')   
v.   con·spired, con·spir·ing, con·spires

v.   intr.

  1. To plan together secretly to commit an illegal or wrongful act or accomplish a legal purpose through illegal action.

  2. To join or act together; combine: "Semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso, Cognac, and vanilla all conspire to intensify [the cake's] flavor" (Sally Schneider).

v.   tr.
To plan or plot secretly.

[Middle English conspiren, from Old French, from Latin cōnspīrāre : com-, com- + spīrāre, to breathe.]
con·spir'er n., con·spir'ing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

conspire 
c.1300, from O.Fr. conspirer, from L. conspirare "to agree, unite, plot," lit. "to breathe together," from com- "together" + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit). Conspiracy is from 1386; conspiracy theory is from 1909.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: con·spire
Pronunciation: k&n-'spIr
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Forms: con·spired; con·spir·ing
Etymology: Latin conspirare to be in harmony, to join in an unlawful agreement, from com- together + spirare to breathe
: to join in a conspiracy —compare SOLICIT
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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