conspiracy theory
noun
plural conspiracy theories
: a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators
the conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's assassination
also
: a theory asserting that a secret of great importance is being kept from the public
… is best known for … his conspiracy theory that a secret cabal of reptilian humanoids is running the world. —
Simon Little
Simon Little … has often been criticized for promoting conspiracy theories such as "birtherism," the theory that President Obama was not born in the U.S. —Grace Segers
Grace Segers Examples of conspiracy theory in a Sentence
Conspiracy theories sprung up soon after the leader's assassination.
Recent Examples on the Web
The group has also been a focus of multiple conspiracy theories, including the Great Reset theory, which was a misrepresentation and exaggeration of a real initiative launched by the WEF in 2020.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
Those documents gave curious readers more details about Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations, but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.
—Josh Funk and Haya Panjwani, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This hectic oddness undergirds the conspiracy theories and wild extrapolations that course through the film and provides the rickety intellectual architecture for Dr. J.’s mercenary speculations.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
Where things get more unusual, however, is that the ransomware scripts include political commentary and conspiracy theory in the code.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
Those documents gave curious readers more details about Cold War-era covert U.S. operations in other nations, but did not initially lend credence to long-circulating conspiracy theories about who killed JFK.
—Josh Funk and Haya Panjwani, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This hectic oddness undergirds the conspiracy theories and wild extrapolations that course through the film and provides the rickety intellectual architecture for Dr. J.’s mercenary speculations.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
Where things get more unusual, however, is that the ransomware scripts include political commentary and conspiracy theory in the code.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conspiracy theory
Cite this Entry
“Conspiracy theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy%20theory. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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