Connive

/kəˈnaɪv/ · verb

Meaning

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

Definitions by Sense

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

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."

The Christchurch City Council has connived with the Government to take over all the surrounding local bodies, and it is not without comment that none of the Labour members from Christchurch has spoken on the Bill.

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.

“I don't know how I would have gotten through this without you.” “Oh, the feeling is mutual. I've always schemed and connived alone. But as a duo, it is, as you might say, "totes ridic!"” “(gasps) I would say that.”

This species [...] differs from other species of this genus in the upper pinnæ being contracted, which are sinuously lobed, each lacinæ and lobe bearing a sorus, furnished with a nearly orbicular indusium, the free exterior margin of which connives with the margin of the lobe, [...]

For ſince the affairs of the world have in them the varieties and perplexities beſides, it happens that in ſome caſes men know not how to govern by the ſtricteſt meaſures of religion, becauſe all men will not do their duty upon that account; and therefore laws are not made [...] with exact and pureſt meaſures, but in compliance and by neceſſity, not always as well as they ſhould, but as well as they may: and therefore the Civil power is forc'd ſometimes to connive at what it does not approve.

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, [...]

Synonyms for connive

Antonyms for connive

Related Words

Word Forms

• connives
• conniving
• connived

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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