Conspiracy
collective noun /kənˈspɪrəsi/ — What you call a group of lemurs — because they always look like they're plotting something.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of lemurs — ring-tailed lemurs in particular are highly social, communicative, and known for their mischievous, inquisitive behaviour.
Beyond the definition
Anyone who has watched lemurs knows the name is earned. They huddle, they whisper (vocally), they glance sideways. They have the energy of a group planning something. A conspiracy of lemurs is funny because it's true.
Origin & history
From Latin conspirare — to breathe together, to plot (con- 'together' + spirare 'to breathe'). The collective noun reflects the lemur's tendency to gather in tight, communicative groups that do look, uncannily, like they're scheming.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A conspiracy of lemurs descended on the tourist's lunch bag with suspicious coordination.
The conspiracy watched from the trees, waiting for the humans to leave.
She found a conspiracy of lemurs arranged on the roof of the ranger station, sunbathing in unison.
Synonyms
group, troop, band, mob
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Word in focus
A conspiracy of lemurs
A group of ring-tailed lemurs sitting close together.
Here, “conspiracy” names the whole gathering. Notice the animals together rather than looking for one individual with that name. The photograph illustrates the group; it is not evidence that this particular scene inspired the expression.
Image credit: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA · CC BY 2.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a fitted crop.