collusion
Americannoun
-
a secret agreement, especially for fraudulent or treacherous purposes; conspiracy.
Some of his employees were acting in collusion to rob him.
- Synonyms:
- complicity, connivance, intrigue
-
Law. a secret understanding between two or more persons to gain something illegally, to defraud someone's rights, or to appear as adversaries though in agreement.
collusion of husband and wife to obtain a divorce.
noun
-
secret agreement for a fraudulent purpose; connivance; conspiracy
-
a secret agreement between opponents at law in order to obtain a judicial decision for some wrongful or improper purpose
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of collusion
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (from Middle French ) from Latin collūsiōn- (stem of collūsiō ), equivalent to collūs(us) (past participle of collūdere to collude ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you are making secret agreements with someone, then you are in collusion with them. Every time gas prices jump, consumers suspect the gas station owners of collusion and price fixing. The noun collusion almost always implies that plans are being made because of some nefarious, most likely illegal, purpose. An art thief could be in collusion with a museum director to steal a famous painting from an art museum. Things get sticky when there is collusion between government and business, between union and management, or between your siblings.
Vocabulary lists containing collusion
The Pearl
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100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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This Week in Words: October 28 - November 3, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Collusion is a concept that dates back to the Ford of the Model T era and the industrial monopolies, and it is something that Congress understands.
From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024
The Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022, introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives, would require the U.S.
From Reuters • Oct. 17, 2022
Saturday’s feature ended up with an upset winner in Collusion Illusion but it was the side stories that may be more important in the long-range forecast.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2019
Collusion, which is generally understood as secretive and often illicit collaboration, has no defined legal meaning.
From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2018
“You’re guilty of Willful Collusion at the very most. They can’t expel you for that. You’d probably get off with a fine, since they don’t whip women.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
