Connive

Origin

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").

Online Etymology Dictionary

See also English nictate ("to wink"), from same Latin base.

Sense comes from extension of “to wink” into “to wink (at a crime), to be privy”.

Full definition of connive

Verb

1. to cooperate with others secretly in order to commit a crime; to collude
2. to plot or scheme
3. to pretend to be ignorant of something in order to escape blame; to ignore a fault deliberately
• Jeremy Taylorto connive at what it does not approve
• BurkeIn many of these, the directors were heartily concurring; in most of them, they were encouraging, and sometimes commanding; in all they were conniving.
• MacaulayThe government thought it expedient, occasionally, to connive at the violation of this rule.
4. (archaic) To open and close the eyes rapidly; to wink.
• SpectatorThe artist is to teach them how to nod judiciously, and to connive with either eye.
5. to be a wench

Related terms

• connivance
• connivent
• conniver
• connivingly
• knive