"willfully blind or tolerant," 1783, present-participle adjective from connive. Earlier in this sense was connivent.
Entries linking to conniving
connive v.
c. 1600, "shut one's eyes to something one does not like but cannot help," from Latin connivere, also conivere "to wink," hence, figuratively, "to wink at (a crime), be secretly privy," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + base akin to nictare "to wink" (from PIE root *kneigwh-; see nictitate). From 1630s as "conceal knowledge (of a fault or crime of another); give silent encouragement to a culpable person." From 1797 as "be in secret complicity." Related: Connived; conniving.
connivent adj.
1640s, "willfully blind or tolerant," from Latin conniventem (nominative connivens), present participle of connivere "to wink," hence, "to wink at (a crime), be secretly privy" (see connive). In natural history, "having a gradually inward direction, gradually convergent," 1757.