conspiracy of silence

An agreement, either explicit or unspoken, among members of a group to keep secret certain information that, if exposed, could be damaging to the group, its interests, or its associates. Knowing that public knowledge of their imminent takeover by the rival company could jeopardize their continued employment thereafter, the board of directors agreed to a strict conspiracy of silence until the deal was finalized. The doctors in the hospital were engaged in a tacit conspiracy of silence, as each knew that bringing to light their colleague's misbehavior could end up damaging their own reputations in the process. I respect the need for the police, but it's hard to trust them completely when they so often abide by a conspiracy of silence.

See also: conspiracy, of, silence

a conspiracy of silence

If there is a conspiracy of silence, people who know about something have agreed that they will not tell anyone about it. Detectives have run into a conspiracy of silence in the close communities here.

See also: conspiracy, of, silence

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

a conspiracy of silence

an agreement to say nothing about an issue that should be generally known.

This expression appears to have originated with the French philosopher Auguste Comte ( 1798–1857 ).

See also: conspiracy, of, silence

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

a conˌspiracy of ˈsilence

an agreement not to talk publicly about something which should not remain secret: As no one was ever convicted of the murders, it is widely believed that there may have been a conspiracy of silence maintained by the victims’ friends and families.

See also: conspiracy, of, silence

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

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References in periodicals archive

We must tear down the conspiracy of silence with which bishops and priests have protected themselves at the expense of their faithful, a conspiracy of silence that in the eyes of the world risks making the Church look like a sect, a conspiracy of silence not so dissimilar from the one that prevails in the mafia.

Our Catholic church leaders in crisis

Referring to the police, the former deputy prime minister added: "I think there was more a conspiracy of silence to hide the facts and frankly I am stronger of that view in the last few months."

Prescott criticises police over 'silence'

Lembit Opik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, believes there has been a conspiracy of silence about the death of Cheryl and three other recruits at the now-closed barracks.

"To put it bluntly, there appears a conspiracy of silence between the Ministry of Defence and police authorities to keep these reports from the public.

WALES: 'I believe Cheryl was murdered' says Opik

He said: "I don't have any doubt at all that among the killers of Robert McCartney there is a conspiracy of silence.

SF expel vow over Robert

THE GOOD NEWS FOR CATHOLICS THIS SUMMER was that the runaway bestseller about church officials embroiled in a conspiracy of silence was a work of fiction.

Painted out of the picture: part of the best-selling appeal of The Da Vinci Code is a conspiracy that has kept women from taking their rightful place in the church

Thinking Mom or Dad is wedded to prejudices that will make it impossible for her or him to be accepting, the powerless kid may just give up and agree to a conspiracy of silence.

Mom, Dad, I'm not going away

He accused ministers of hiding the truth from Blair adding "There is a conspiracy of silence. I don't believe he would allow this."

TOP DOC'S NHS OUTBURST; Lord Winston attacks ministers' 'deceit' over the health service

A conspiracy of silence drives Jaw-breaker, in which three ultrafab girlfriends accidentally murder one of their own.

Jawbreaker