salaliitto

Salaliitto is a Finnish noun meaning a secret plan or agreement among two or more people to commit wrongdoing or to achieve a political, economic, or social objective, typically by unlawful means. The word is formed from salainen (“secret”) and liitto (“alliance” or “pact”). It can refer to a real covert pact or to alleged plots in public discourse.

In legal and criminological usage, salaliitto denotes a secret agreement between individuals to commit a crime; some jurisdictions require that the conspirators take an overt act toward the crime and that the agreement existed at a specific time. Not all alleged conspiracies lead to charges, as evidence of intent and action must be established.

In journalism and politics, salaliitto is commonly used to describe alleged plots by political actors, organizations, or interest groups. The term can be neutral when based on verifiable evidence, but it is often employed pejoratively to cast opponents in a suspicious light or to imply wrongdoing without solid proof. The Finnish term salaliittoteoria refers to conspiracy theories—beliefs that hidden plots control events regardless of evidence.

See also: salaliittoteoria, salaseura (secret society).