What does conniving mean?
Conniving describes behavior marked by secret, underhanded plotting — scheming behind the scenes while outwardly maintaining an appearance of innocence. A conniving person works quietly toward selfish or dishonest ends, concealing their true intentions from those they manipulate. The word can also carry the older sense of knowingly ignoring or tolerating wrongdoing, as when an official is accused of conniving at corruption by failing to act. Derived from the Latin verb connivere, literally "to wink" or close the eyes, the term vividly captures the image of someone who pretends not to see what is happening even while participating in it. In modern usage it is almost always pejorative, appearing frequently in descriptions of fictional villains, political intrigue, workplace betrayal, and interpersonal deceit. Its strong moral coloring makes it a precise choice when writers want to condemn not just dishonesty, but dishonesty combined with deliberate concealment.
Given to secret plotting or scheming, especially for dishonest purposes; also, knowingly permitting or tacitly encouraging wrongdoing.
"Everyone knew the duke's conniving chamberlain had engineered the heir's downfall."
When used in the older sense of tolerating wrongdoing, the verb form typically pairs with "in" or "at," e.g., "to connive at corruption."
The present participle of the verb "connive": to secretly cooperate or plot toward an improper end, or to deliberately ignore wrongdoing.
"They were caught conniving with a supplier to inflate invoices."
Conniving comes from the Latin for 'to wink' — literally closing one eye to what is going on, which is exactly what a conniver does.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conniving
"Conniving" derives from the Latin verb connivere, formed from the intensive prefix com- plus a root related to nictare, "to wink or blink." The original image was that of closing the eyes — either pretending not to notice wrongdoing or covertly signaling complicity with a wink. The word entered English in the late sixteenth century via French conniver, first meaning to shut the eyes to something, then acquiring its dominant modern sense of secret scheming. It shares its Latin com- prefix with numerous English words such as combine, consent, and collect.
Related word forms
How conniving is actually used
"Conniving" carries a strongly negative connotation and is most common in narrative, journalistic, and informal contexts describing villains, rivals, or untrustworthy figures. It appears both as an attributive adjective ("a conniving plan") and as the progressive form of the verb "connive." The rarer second sense, meaning to tacitly permit wrongdoing, is more formal and often takes the preposition "in" or "at."
Easily confused with conniving
Contriving means inventively devising or planning something, often neutral or positive in tone, whereas conniving implies secretive, dishonest scheming.