connive
Adjective
Hard difficulty
What does “connive” mean?
adjective.to secretly allow (a wrongdoing) to occur.
SAT Usage
This term often appears in contexts involving ethical dilemmas, conspiracy, or moral decay. It emphasizes a covert complicity in wrongdoing rather than outright participation, suggesting a level of deceitfulness and betrayal that differs from similar words like "collude," which implies a more active partnership in wrongdoing.
Common Confusions
Connive implies a passive allowance of wrongdoing through secrecy, while collude usually suggests an active and mutual conspiracy to engage in illicit activities.
Do not choose connive if the context emphasizes active opposition or confrontation rather than secretly allowing a wrongdoing to occur.
Example Sentences
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The officials connived to hide the true budget figures.
Word Parts: How to Remember “connive”
Break “connive” into its parts: co- (together, with). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.
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Prefix:
co-together, with (Latin)