connive

1. (intransitive) To secretly cooperate with other people in order to commit a crime or other wrongdoing; to collude, to conspire.
2. (intransitive, rare) Of parts of a plant: to be converging or in close contact; to be connivent.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) Often followed by at: to pretend to be ignorant of something in order to escape blame; to ignore or overlook a fault deliberately.
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To open and close the eyes rapidly; to wink.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kəˈnaɪv/

Etymology

From French conniver (“to ignore and thus become complicit in wrongdoing”), or directly from its etymon Latin con(n)īvēre (“close or screw up the eyes, blink, wink; overlook, turn a blind eye, connive”) (perhaps alluding to two persons involved in a scheme together winking to each other), from con- (prefix indicating a being or bringing together of several objects) + *nīvēre (related to nictō (“to blink, wink”), from Proto-Indo-European *kneygʷʰ- (“to bend, droop”)).

Synonyms

conspire

intrigue

plot

collude

scheme

overlook

complot

ignore

encourage

disregard

condone

deliberate

devise

discuss

engineer

gratify

hurt

intend

lay out

make up

map out

mastermind

negotiate

plan

programme

project

schedule

spoil

suffer

take no notice of

think

🤔

turn a blind eye

wink

😉

wink at

witness

be party to

let pass

take sides with

turn a blind eye to

design

be an accomplice

be lenient

give aid and comfort

make a secret settlement

mutually consent

join hands secretly

back

🔙

Keble

abet

ache

Translations

conspirer

συνωμοτώ

tramer

ser conivente com

trescare

dulden

complottare

intrallazzare

intrigare

tramare

Nachsicht üben

συνεργάζομαι στο κακό

εθελοτυφλώ

schmerzen

darüber hinwegsehen