connivance Hear it!

connivance Definition

con·niv·ance (kə nī′vəns)

noun

  1. the act of conniving
  2. passive cooperation, as by consent or pretended ignorance, esp. in wrongdoing

Etymology: Fr connivence < L coniventia, < prp. of conivere: see connive

connivance Law Definition

n

The assent to, encouragement of, or promotion of another’s wrongdoing by silence or feigned ignorance. See also conspiracy.

v

To be in collusion with another person. See also conspiracy.

n

In family law, the consent by one spouse of the other spouse’s improper conduct (such as adultery), either in advance of the conduct or while it is occurring, when that wrongful conduct is a potential ground for divorce.
connivance Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • authority: Two British residents now in Guantánamo were taken by US agents from West Africa with the apparent connivance of the British authorities.
  • government: The most infamous use of radio is Rwanda, = but there it was used with the connivance of the Government against their rivals.
  • banker: Stolen billions were funneled abroad with the connivance of foreign bankers.

Adjective modifier

  • active: But the revolutionary movement was stopped short with the active connivance of the Stalinist CPI leadership.
  • mutual: The ' secret mutual connivance ' is not an idea that either astrologers or Jung the scientist finds easy to see or illumine.
  • secret: The ' secret mutual connivance ' is not an idea that either astrologers or Jung the scientist finds easy to see or illumine.
  • apparent: Two British residents now in Guantánamo were taken by US agents from West Africa with the apparent connivance of the British authorities.
  • full: An Auction Of Liberty Therefore with the full connivance of Judge Lawton QC, the prosecution offered a deal.