collusion
UK: kəˈluːʒ(ə)n | US: kəˈluːʒ(ə)n
n. secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially to deceive others
The word "collusion" originates from Latin collusionem (a secret agreement), derived from colludere ("to play together"). The morpheme col- (a variant of com-) means "together," while -lus comes from ludere ("to play"). Over time, the playful connotation shifted to imply deceitful cooperation, reflecting the word's modern legal and negative sense.
The two companies were accused of collusion to fix prices.
Political collusion undermined the election's fairness.
Investigators found evidence of collusion between the suspect and the witness.
The contract was voided due to collusion among the bidders.
Collusion in sports, such as match-fixing, harms public trust.