Connive is a verb meaning "to secretly cooperate in wrongdoing; to scheme". Historically, it is from Latin conivere ('to shut the eyes, wink at, overlook'), from con- ('together') + a verb related to 'to blink, close the eyes'; the sense developed from feigning ignorance of wrongdoing. The visible construction is part of the etymology: connive is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The semantic history matters here: the earlier use is the starting point, and the modern sense, "to secretly cooperate in wrongdoing; to scheme", is the later or specialized English value. The historical chain is anchored in Latin conivere. Close English family members include conniver, connivance, conniving, connivence, and nictitate.