Collusioun

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A secret arrangement between two or more parties to cheat, deceive or defraud others for their own gain
2. Covert cooperation among people who agree in private to mislead someone or to carry out an illegal scheme
3. An underhanded understanding reached in secret, usually to betray a third party or gain an unfair advantage

Etymology: The Latin root behind "collusioun" is "colludere," built from "com-" (together) and "ludere" (to play), so the original sense was simply playing together. The sense of secret cooperation for a deceitful purpose came later, as Latin writers used the verb for people acting in concert, often against someone else. The same "ludere" root gives us "ludicrous" and "elude," and it is a useful reminder that many words for plotting began as games. This spelling, with the ending "-oun," is the Middle English form, borrowed through Old French "collusion" from Latin "collusio." It appeared in English around the late 1300s, when English writers were adopting many legal and moral terms from French. In that period it was used mainly for secret agreements meant to defraud or deceive, especially in law, where it still carries that sense.