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Origin and history of conspirator

conspirator(n.)

"one who plots or acts on evil or unlawful designs," c. 1400, conspiratour, from Old French conspirateur, from Latin conspiratorem (nominative conspiratorio), noun of action from past-participle stem of conspirare "to agree, unite, plot," literally "to breathe together" (see conspire).

Conspirer is attested from 1530s, from Anglo-French conspirour. Fem. form conspiratrice is from early 15c.; conspiratress is from 1760. Related: Conspiratory.

also from c. 1400

Entries linking to conspirator

conspire(v.)

late 14c., "aspire or plan maliciously, agree together to commit a criminal or reprehensible act," from Old French conspirer (14c.), from Latin conspirare "to agree, unite, plot," literally "to breathe together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)), perhaps on the notion of "to agree (by spoken oath) to commit a bad act." Or perhaps the notion is "to blow together" musical instruments, i.e., "to sound in unison."

Neutral or good sense of "to contribute jointly to a certain result" is from 1530s. Related: Conspired; conspiring.

conspiratorial(adj.)

"pertaining to or in the manner of conspiracy," 1843; see conspirator + -ial. Related: Conspiratorially.

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