collusion

noun

col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən How to pronounce collusion (audio)
: secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose
acting in collusion with the enemy
collusive adjective
collusively adverb

Examples of collusion in a Sentence

The company was acting in collusion with manufacturers to inflate prices. there was collusion between the two companies to fix prices
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, Strzok and Page were assigned in 2017 to work on then-Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s team, tasked with investigating the Russia collusion narrative. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2025 Kurchenko was also close to Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-leaning Ukrainian president at the time, and was later accused by the succeeding Ukrainian government of systematically evading millions in taxes with the collusion of officials in Yanukovych’s administration. Olena Loginova, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025 The elaborate scheme, masterminded by members of four Mafia families in collusion with celebrity athletes, ensnared unsuspecting victims, bleeding them of over $7 million through cunning deception, prosecutors said in the indictment. Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025 Implicit threats like this also underpin many cases of human collusion. Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for collusion

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin collusion-, collusio, from colludere — see collude

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of collusion was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Collusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collusion. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

collusion

noun
col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən How to pronounce collusion (audio)
: secret agreement or cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose
collusive adjective

Legal Definition

collusion

noun
col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən How to pronounce collusion (audio)
: the act or an instance of colluding
collusive adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on collusion

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