YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

connive

Verb

IPA /kəˈnaɪv/

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Meaning in plain English

To secretly cooperate with someone in a dishonest or wrongful plan.

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Pronunciation

connive/kəˈnaɪv/

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A buyer and supplier make a secret plan
They deliberately inflate invoices
They benefit from the dishonest arrangement

To connive with someone is to cooperate secretly in wrongdoing.

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In the story, the cousins connive to hide the missing necklace.
The investigation found that a buyer had connived with a supplier to inflate invoices.

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In the story, the cousins ________ to hide the missing necklace.

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connive — To secretly cooperate with someone in a dishonest or wrongful plan.

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To secretly cooperate with someone in a dishonest or wrongful plan.

Compare: In the story, the cousins connive to hide the missing necklace.

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Word origin

From French conniver or Latin connivere, meaning to close the eyes to something.

Did you know?

Connive with someone identifies a partner in the wrongdoing.

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