> If it is man-made, and they are keeping that from us, then it is a conspiracy. Therefore, conspiracy theory.

No, it's the theory that it is a conspiracy, or more likely, a cover-up. (As I doubt there was a conspiracy to release the virus).

"Conspiracy theory" has a specific negative connotation, and has "specific characteristics ... such as an opposition [to those] who are qualified to evaluate its accuracy." [1]

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory

Literally the first line from wikipedia is:

> A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy

You've missed the rest of the sentence.

> A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation,[3][4] when other explanations are more probable.[5][6]

And the distinction is clearly drawn.

> A conspiracy theory is not the same as a conspiracy

"Conspiracy theory" is usually used in the non-technical sense of the word to be derogatory, or imply that the theory is false; conspiracy theories that the writer doesn't want to imply as false (e.g. Epstein didn't kill himself, members of Congress engaging in insider trading) seem to not usually be described using the specific phrase "conspiracy theory" - even when that's what they are.

I get the derogatory nature of the term, but both of your examples include groups of people keeping information from the rest of us. I'm curious if you have an example of a derogatory conspiracy theory that doesn't have a literal conspiracy in it.

My point was that the above example was called a conspiracy theory because it was against the norm, not merely because it was a conspiracy, because there are conspiracies that aren't called that because of the connotations of the term. I'm not saying that the term describes non-conspiracies.