con·niv·ance
| \ kə-ˈnī-vən(t)s
\
\
Definition of connivance
: the act of conniving
especially
: knowledge of and active or passive consent to wrongdoing
He stole millions of dollars with the connivance of his partner.
Examples of connivance in a Sentence
was able to sneak out at night with the connivance of a camp counselor
Recent Examples on the Web
With liberal connivance, indeed, the Supreme Court has in our time become more business-friendly than at any other point in nearly a century.
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Ryan D. Doerfler, The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2020
Information is mounting about the connivance in all of this.
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Jay Ambrose, Star Tribune, 6 Oct. 2020
Much of Mr Kabuga’s time was spent there, almost certainly with the connivance of officials.
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The Economist, 21 May 2020
With the connivance of the board of directors, he was afforded all sorts of corporate perks and huge grants of stock options.
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John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2020
In the old days, bride kidnapping, often with the connivance of the bride, was the key to courtship.
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Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2019
Such dodges work only with the connivance of the courts.
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The Economist, 5 Oct. 2019
After exploiting everything and everyone, making millions and, in Epstein’s case, billions, both men died as guests of the nation, with either the abject incompetence or sinister connivance of a government that once coddled them.
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Kevin Cullen, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Aug. 2019
The people who elected Mr. Trump are people whose expectations have been raised by the connivance of the market.
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Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 29 May 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'connivance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Connivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connivance. Accessed 16 Jan. 2022.
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More Definitions for connivance
connivance
noun
con·ni·vance
| \ kə-ˈnī-vəns
\
\
Legal Definition of connivance
: the act of conniving especially with regard to a spouse's marital misconduct (as adultery)
also
: a defense to a charge of marital misconduct in a divorce proceeding — compare condonation
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Time Traveler for connivance
The first known use of connivance was in 1593
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