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/kənˈaɪvɪŋ/ Listen

verb

Connive v. t. To shut the eyes to; to overlook; to pretend not to see. (R. & Obs.) "Divorces were not connived only, but with eye open allowed."

Connive v. i. (past & past part. connived; pres. part. conniving)

To open and close the eyes rapidly; to wink. (Obs.) "The artist is to teach them how to nod judiciously, and to connive with either eye."

To close the eyes upon a fault; to wink (at); to fail or forbear by intention to discover an act; to permit a proceeding, as if not aware of it; usually followed by at. "To connive at what it does not approve." "In many of these, the directors were heartily concurring; in most of them, they were encouraging, and sometimes commanding; in all they were conniving." "The government thought it expedient, occasionally, to connive at the violation of this rule."

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Etymology of 'Conniving'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Conniving" Quotes from Famous Books

... conniving at the perfidy of this unprincipled girl, your niece, you imagined that you were safe. It was an error. You are both discovered!" ...

— The Missing Bride • Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth

... together about so nice, and very important a matter, as saving, or losing a King's life. The Lords then sat down again, and he represented to them what barbarity it would be, for such an assembly's conniving at the rabble's tearing to pieces, even any private gentleman, much more a great Prince, who, with all his popery, was still their Sovereign; so that mere shame obliged them to suspend their politics awhile, ...

— The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) - Vol. III • Theophilus Cibber

... steadily, and with untiring energy, extended and brought into orderly government the British dominions; in 1785 he voluntarily resigned, and on his return he was impeached before the House of Lords for oppression of the natives, and for conniving at the plunder of the Begums or dowager-princesses of Oudh; the trial brought forth the greatest orators of the day, Burke, Fox, and Sheridan leading the impeachment, which, after dragging on for nearly eight years, resulted in the acquittal of Hastings on all the charges; ...

— The Nuttall Encyclopaedia - Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge • Edited by Rev. James Wood

... displeasing to the court of Rome. These conflicts raged for several years without any decisive results. The efforts of Ferdinand to please both parties, as usual, pleased neither. By the Protestants he was regarded as a persecutor and intolerant; while the Catholics accused him of lukewarmness, of conniving at heresy and of dishonoring the Church by demanding of her concessions derogatory to her authority ...

— The Empire of Austria; Its Rise and Present Power • John S. C. Abbott

... anxiety and praying for night to come so that I might lie awake and pray for the sun to rise, and in this way pass the time as quickly as possible. There would be difficulty in getting my visitors to bed early, another thing to test my power at conniving. They were bridge players, of course, and as such would be up till all hours of the morning overdoing themselves in the effort ...

— A Fool and His Money • George Barr McCutcheon

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