secret approval
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- Tacit approval of someone's wrongdoing: A state of silent or unspoken agreement with, or acceptance of, another person's improper or illegal actions, particularly in a legal context. This implies awareness of the wrongdoing without overt objection or intervention.
Usage
- Noun:
- The manager's failure to report the fraud was interpreted as secret approval of the scheme.
- In the court case, the prosecutor argued that the company's inaction constituted secret approval of the safety violations.
Advanced Usage
- Legal Doctrine: In some legal systems, secret approval (or tacit approval) can establish liability, implying that a person or entity consented to an act by not objecting when they had a duty to do so.
- The landlord's secret approval of the illegal sublet was grounds for terminating the lease.
Variants and Related Words
- Tacit approval (noun phrase): The most common synonym, meaning implied or understood consent without being directly stated.
- Acquiescence (noun): Passive acceptance or submission without protest.
- Connivance (noun): Willingness to allow or be secretly involved in a wrongdoing.
Synonyms
- Tacit consent: Unspoken agreement.
- Implied approval: Approval suggested or understood without being directly expressed.
- Silent assent: Quiet agreement.
Related Phrases
- To turn a blind eye: To pretend not to notice something wrong.
- By turning a blind eye to the bribes, he gave his secret approval.
- To wink at something: To pretend not to see or to ignore something wrong.
- The regulator was accused of winking at the violations, showing secret approval.
Notes
- This term is primarily used in formal, legal, or ethical discussions concerning responsibility and complicity. It describes a passive form of endorsement where the approving party does not act to stop the misconduct.
Noun
- (law) tacit approval of someone's wrongdoing