Connive definition
The guards were suspected of conniving at the prisoner's escape.
The dealers connived with customs officials to bring in narcotics.
When you create a secret plan to do something wrong with a friend, this is an example of connive.
Origin of connive
- Latin cōnīvēre, connīvēre to close the eyes
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Circa 1600, from French conniver, from Latin connīveō (“wink”), or directly from Latin, from com- (“together”) + base akin to nictō (“I wink”), from Proto-Indo-European *knei-gwh- (“to bend”). See also English nictate (“to wink”), from same Latin base.
From Wiktionary
- Sense comes from extension of “to wink” into “to wink (at a crime), to be privy”.
From Wiktionary