collusive
/kə'lu:siv/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end: Describes a secret, cooperative agreement between parties, often to deceive others or gain an unfair advantage.
Usage
The adjective "collusive" is used to describe actions, agreements, or behavior that involve a secret and dishonest partnership. It is a formal term, most commonly found in legal, business, and political contexts to describe illicit cooperation, such as price-fixing or bid-rigging.
Examples
- The companies were fined for their collusive behavior in setting artificially high prices.
- An investigation revealed a collusive agreement between the contractor and the official to win the bid.
- The judge dismissed the lawsuit, calling it a collusive suit designed to set a favorable legal precedent.
Advanced Usage
- "Collusive oligopoly": An economic market structure where a few firms secretly cooperate to control prices and output.
- The market ceased to be competitive, becoming a collusive oligopoly.
- "Collusive practices": A formal phrase for secret, illegal cooperation, especially in antitrust law.
- The regulatory body exists to prevent collusive practices that harm consumers.
Variants and Related Words
- Collude (verb): To conspire or cooperate secretly for a fraudulent or illegal purpose.
- The two executives were accused of conspiring to collude on market prices.
- Collusion (noun): The act of colluding; a secret agreement for a fraudulent purpose.
- The evidence pointed to collusion between the competing firms.
Synonyms
- Conspiratorial: Relating to or characteristic of a secret plan to do something unlawful or harmful.
- Conniving: Secretly involved in plotting or scheming.
- Complicit: Involved with others in an activity that is unlawful or morally wrong.
Antonyms
- Competitive: Involving competition; striving against others for supremacy or a prize.
- Independent: Free from outside control; not subject to another's authority.
- Aboveboard: Legitimate, honest, and open.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- In cahoots: (Idiom, informal) Involved in a secret partnership, often for a dishonest purpose. This is a less formal equivalent.
- They were suspected of being in cahoots to manipulate the stock price.
Adjective
- acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end