wicked plot; vicious scheme
Refers to a cunning, malicious plan or conspiracy, often in political or historical contexts. Somewhat literary.
The country fell into chaos due to his wicked plot.
Numerous vicious schemes are recorded in the history books.
Standard kanji spelling; 奸 carries a nuance of cunning or wickedness.
Variant spelling using 姦, which also suggests wickedness or scheming; less common than 奸謀.
Compound of 奸 (kan, 'wickedness, cunning') and 謀 (bō, 'plot, scheme'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common Sino-Japanese pattern for abstract nouns.