: 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
… 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
Example Sentences
Conspiracy theories sprung up soon after the leader's assassination.
Recent Examples on the WebKiwi Farms is owned and operated by Josh Moon, a former administrator of 8chan, a forum that became known as a dumping ground for white nationalist screeds posted by mass shooters and the conspiracy theory movement QAnon. Ben Collins, NBC News, 2 Sep. 2022 At first, Fetzer and others writing for a veterans conspiracy theory website blamed Israel for the Sandy Hook shooting — an allegation picked up by Iranian state TV. Amanda J. Crawford, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2022 But among covid-deniers - the always-testing-negative ones, not the conspiracy theory crew - theories about the reasons for their good fortune abound. Ellen Mccarthy, Anchorage Daily News, 22 July 2022 But among covid-deniers — the always-testing-negative ones, not the conspiracy theory crew — theories about the reasons for their good fortune abound. Ellen Mccarthy, Washington Post, 21 July 2022 After a few trimesters at Columbia University, Cameron Kasky is working in Los Angeles as an intern for a producer and helps run a fake conspiracy theory website.New York Times, 18 July 2022 Membership in Facebook groups devoted to the conspiracy theory QAnon increased by 120% in March 2020, and engagement rates in such groups increased by 91% that month, a study from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found. Max Zahn, ABC News, 21 May 2022 But in the end, the conspiracy theory part didn’t interest me as much as the moral existential part of the story. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2022 The candidate is tied to the QAnon conspiracy theory movement and attended the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to the media watchdog group Media Matters. Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 5 May 2022 See More