connivance

noun con·niv·ance \ kə-ˈnī-vən(t)s \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Examples: connivance in a Sentence

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.

See connivance defined for kids

Examples of connivance in a Sentence

was able to sneak out at night with the connivance of a camp counselor

Recent Examples of connivance from the Web

Finally, Albright’s cases reveal a third factor in fascism’s rise: the connivance of conservatives.

— sheri berman, New York Times, "Can It Happen Here? Madeleine Albright Examines Fascism Then and Now," 20 Apr. 2018
In his scenes with Charley, there’s a lifetime of scrounging and connivance reflected in Del’s gimlet eyes.

— peter rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Lean on Pete' is a tale of a boy and his horse," 6 Apr. 2018
The ability to cram such sheer connivance into every sentence must have been what first attracted Trump to his son-in-law.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "This Is How Kushner Operates," 24 July 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of connivance

see connive

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1593

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

connivance Synonyms

Synonyms

collusion, complicity, conspiracy;

double-dealing, duplicity;

cover-up, frame-up, setup;

conspiration, intrigue, plot, scheme;

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

Law Dictionary

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