con·nive / kəˈnīv/ • v. [intr.] (connive at/in) secretly allow (something considered immoral, illegal, wrong, or harmful) to occur: you have it in your power to connive at my escape. ∎  conspire to do something considered immoral, illegal, or harmful: the government had connived with security forces in permitting murder | [as adj.] (conniving) a heartless and conniving woman. DERIVATIVES: con·niv·er n.

connive shut one's eyes to, wink at. XVII. — F. conniver — L. connivēre (cōnivēre) shut the eyes, f. CON- + *nivēre, rel. to nictāre blink.
So connivance XVI. orig. connivence — F. connivence or L. connīventia.