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definitions

connivance

or con·niv·ence

[kuh-nahy-vuh ns]

noun

the act of conniving.
Law.
  1. tacit encouragement or assent (without participation) to wrongdoing by another.
  2. the consent by a person to a spouse's conduct, especially adultery, that is later made the basis of a divorce proceeding or other complaint.

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Nearby words

  1. connex,
  2. connexion,
  3. connie,
  4. conning tower,
  5. conniption,
  6. connive,
  7. connivence,
  8. connivent,
  9. connivery,
  10. conniving

Origin of connivance

1590–1600; earlier connivence (< F) < Latin connīventia. See connive, -ence, -ance
Related formsnon·con·niv·ance, nounnon·con·niv·ence, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for connivence

connivance

noun

the act or fact of conniving
law the tacit encouragement of or assent to another's wrongdoing, esp (formerly) of the petitioner in a divorce suit to the respondent's adultery
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for connivence
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper