1. The act of indulging or ignoring another’s wrongdoing, esp. when action should be taken to prevent it.
2. Family law. As a defense to divorce, one spouse’s corrupt consent, express or implied, to have the other commit adultery or some other act of sexual misconduct. • Consent is an essential element of connivance. The complaining spouse must have consented to the act complained of. [Cases: Divorce 45. C.J.S. Divorce § 85.] Cf. COLLUSION(2); CONDONATION (2); RECRIMINATION. — connive (k[schwa]-nIv), vb.