collusion

noun

col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən 

: secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose

acting in collusion with the enemy

collusive

kə-ˈlü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

collusively adverb

Synonyms

• conspiracy
• complicity

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

The airport denies any collusion with Uber or Lyft and maintains that all drivers, as independent contractors, must adhere to airport policies. —Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The rules were clear: no talk of pricing or anything that could be considered collusion. —Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025

What do the lawsuits cite as evidence of collusion? —Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025

The day would have gone even longer, but no Republican rose to defend the blueprint or to refute Democrats’ claims of self-dealing, collusion, violations of congressional order, or harms to the environment, the economy, and to communities around the country. —Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2025

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

Rhymes for collusion

• allusion
• conclusion
• confusion
• contusion
• delusion
• diffusion
• effusion
• exclusion
• extrusion
• illusion
• inclusion
• infusion

Kids Definition

collusion

noun

col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən 

: secret agreement or cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose

collusive

-ˈlü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

Legal Definition

collusion

noun

col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən 

: the act or an instance of colluding

collusive

-siv 

adjective