Collusively

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Involving a secretive partnership or agreement, actions are often taken in a way that seeks to achieve shared outcomes without transparency
2. Characterized by a hidden alliance or understanding, often leading to collaborative actions designed to deceitfully benefit the parties involved
3. In a manner involving secret cooperation intended to deceive or cheat others

Etymology: "Collusively" is simply "collusive" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached, so its meaning follows directly from the root. The root "collusive" comes from "collude," which descends from the Latin "colludere," meaning "to play together" or "to act in concert," built from "com-" ("together") and "ludere" ("to play"). The original sense was therefore one of playing alongside someone, and the sense of secret cooperation for a deceitful end developed later in the word's history. The adverb is the natural product of that adjective: a plan can be made collusively, and two parties can act collusively, each doing their part in an arrangement kept from outsiders. The base word, not the suffix, carries the sense of hidden agreement.

Synonyms: secretively, conspiratorially

Antonyms: openly