conspirator

Conspirator refers to a person who participates in a conspiracy, a secretly coordinated plan by two or more people to commit wrongdoing or to achieve an illicit objective. A conspirator can be someone who plans, facilitates, or acts in furtherance of the scheme, including those who aid, encourage, or provide resources. The term is used in everyday speech as well as in legal contexts to describe participants in such plots, regardless of whether the crime is eventually carried out.

Originating from the Latin conspirare, meaning "to breathe together" (con- "together" + spirare "to breathe"), the term emphasizes shared intent and collaboration.

In criminal law, conspiracy is often treated as a distinct offense that exists regardless of whether the planned crime is completed. Typical elements include (1) an agreement between two or more persons to commit, or to use unlawful means to accomplish, a criminal act; (2) intent to pursue the objective; and sometimes (3) an overt act in furtherance of the agreement. Once formed, conspirators may be liable for crimes committed in furtherance of the conspiracy, even if a conspirator did not personally carry out the act. Withdrawal from a conspiracy can affect liability in some jurisdictions, but this is not guaranteed; other jurisdictions hold that withdrawal must be timely and effective to relieve liability for future acts. Some places require proof of an overt act only for certain offenses, while others treat the agreement itself as the core offense.

Conspirator is also used broadly to describe participants in political, business, or illicit plots, not always legally defined as criminal. Historical examples include publicized plots such as the Gunpowder Plot in early 17th-century England and various political schemes in modern history. In journalism and literature, the term can denote individuals acting with secret collusion against established rules or norms.