conniving

conniving
    adj 1: acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal
           end [syn: {collusive}, {conniving}]
    2: used of persons; "the most calculating and selfish men in the
       community" [syn: {calculating}, {calculative}, {conniving},
       {scheming}, {shrewd}]
    

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.]
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            The artist is to teach them how to nod judiciously,
            and to connive with either eye.       --Spectator.
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   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.
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            To connive at what it does not approve. --Jer.
                                                  Taylor.
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            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.
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            The government thought it expedient, occasionally,
            to connive at the violation of this rule.
                                                  --Macaulay.
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51 Moby Thesaurus words for "conniving":
      Byzantine, Machiavellian, calculating, coacting, coactive,
      coadjutant, coadjuvant, coefficient, collaborative, collective,
      collectivist, collectivistic, collusive, combined, commensal,
      common, communal, communalist, communalistic, communist,
      communistic, communitarian, concerted, concordant, concurrent,
      concurring, connivent, conspiring, contriving, cooperant,
      cooperating, cooperative, designing, ecumenic, fellow, harmonious,
      harmonized, intriguing, joint, mutual, noncompetitive, plotting,
      reciprocal, scheming, stratagemical, symbiotic, synergetic,
      synergic, synergistic, uncompetitive, up to