Connive \Con*nive"\, 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.'' --Milton.
Connive \Con*nive"\ (k[o^]n*n[imac]v"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Connived} (-n[imac]vd"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Conniving}.] [L. connivere to shut the eyes, connive, fr. con- + (perh.) a word akin to nicere to beckon, nictare to wink.] 1. 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. --Spectator.
2. 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. --Jer. Taylor.
In many of these, the directors were heartily concurring; in most of them, they were encouraging, and sometimes commanding; in all they were conniving. --Burke.
The government thought it expedient, occasionally, to connive at the violation of this rule. --Macaulay.
To connive at atrocities for reasons of realpolitik concealed under the cloak of pseudo-pacifism is to bring it into disrepute. It may now be too late to provide the Bosnian government with effective means of self-defence.
Finance Secretary Jaime Ongpin, who oversees the Bureau of Customs, says customs officials still connive at widespread smuggling.