/ kəˈnaɪvəns; NAmE / noun
[ U ] ( disapproving ) help in doing sth wrong; the failure to stop sth wrong from happening :
The crime was committed with the connivance of a police officer.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent. (also in the Latin sense winking ): from French connivence or Latin conniventia , from connivere shut the eyes (to), from con- together + an unrecorded word related to nictare to wink.