definitions

connivance

or con·niv·ence

[ kuh-nahy-vuh ns ]
/ kəˈnaɪ vəns /

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.

Nearby words

connex, connexion, connie, conning tower, conniption, connivance, connive, connivent, connivery, connoisseur, connolly

Origin of connivance

1590–1600; earlier connivence (< F) < Latin connīventia. See connive, -ence, -ance

Related forms

non·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

/ (kəˈnaɪvəns) /

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