collusion

noun

col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən 

: secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose

acting in collusion with the enemy

collusive

kə-ˈlü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

collusively adverb

Synonyms

• complicity
• connivance
• conspiracy

Examples of collusion in a Sentence

The company was acting in collusion with manufacturers to inflate prices.

there was collusion between the two companies to fix prices

Recent Examples on the Web

There's also a high level of collusion among these actors. —Nick Rieniets, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

State Farm and other major insurers have been sued for alleged collusion. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025

Related Articles Opinion: If Colorado bans some semi-automatic guns, women will be less safe Housing on church land, price gouging and rent collusion crackdown in the Colorado legislature this week After a Loveland woman died, her landlord charged $5,000 for breaking the lease. —Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2025

Congressional Republicans are also getting involved in campus politics, sending letters to eight Ivy League schools expressing concern about allegations of collusion to raise tuition prices. —Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin collusion-, collusio, from colludere — see collude

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for collusion

• allusion
• conclusion
• confusion
• contusion
• delusion
• diffusion
• effusion
• exclusion
• extrusion
• illusion
• inclusion
• infusion

Kids Definition

collusion

noun

col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən 

: secret agreement or cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose

collusive

-ˈlü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

Legal Definition

collusion

noun

col·​lu·​sion kə-ˈlü-zhən 

: the act or an instance of colluding

collusive

-siv 

adjective