Connive

Quick meaning: Connive is a verb meaning (intransitive) To secretly cooperate with other people in order to commit a crime or other wrongdoing; to collude, to conspire.

Meaning

(intransitive) To secretly cooperate with other people in order to commit a crime or other wrongdoing; to collude, to conspire.

More Meanings

1. (intransitive, botany, rare) Of parts of a plant: to be converging or in close contact; to be connivent.
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To open and close the eyes rapidly; to wink.
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.

Example Sentences

I might say, / That who despairs, acts; that who acts, connives / With God's relations set in time and space; [...]

This very Law of Libel provides that "if any one connives with a guilty man and alleges him to be innocent, he renders himself liable to punishment."

While some of Joe [Kennedy]'s classmates had connived to get into battle, joining the French Foreign Legion or the Canadian forces, Joe connived to get out.

Though all this Good be found in thee, I an offended that thou ſo conniveſt at the Hereſie of the falſe Teachers, as to permit ſome of them in your Communion, [...]

Word Forms

• connives
• conniving
• connived

Synonyms for connive

Depending on context, synonyms include dissimulate, wink, intrigue, scheme.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include intrigue, scheme, plot, collude, conspire, coconspire.

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