collusions
Underhanded joint schemes
Collusions is the plural of collusion, a secret agreement between parties to deceive or defraud others.
The word carries strong negative connotations—collusions are typically illegal or unethical arrangements: price-fixing collusions between competitors, collusions between corrupt officials and contractors.
The term appears frequently in legal and political contexts.
Dishonest abuse of power
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- coverupDeliberate hiding of wrongdoing
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
Watergate · cronyism · graft · backroom deals · influence peddling · quid pro quo · embezzlement · nepotism
Coordinated artificial cost-setting
- bid-riggingIllegal auction coordination
- antitrustAgainst corporate market dominance
- cartelsCollusive business alliances
- monopolyOne seller, no substitutes
market manipulation · insider trading · securities fraud · Enron · racketeering · kickbacks · shell companies · money laundering
Betraying one's nation
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- spiesSecret intelligence gatherers
- foreign agentsRepresentatives of another nation
- molesBurrowing insectivore mammals
double agents · classified · leaks · counterintelligence · handlers · assets · defection · surveillance
corruption
Dishonest abuse of power
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- coverupDeliberate hiding of wrongdoing
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
kickbacks · Watergate · cronyism · graft · backroom deals · influence peddling · quid pro quo · embezzlement · nepotism · patronage
price-fixing
Coordinated artificial cost-setting
- bid-riggingIllegal auction coordination
- antitrustAgainst corporate market dominance
- cartelsCollusive business alliances
monopoly · market manipulation · insider trading · securities fraud · Enron · racketeering · kickbacks · shell companies · money laundering · tax evasion
treason
Betraying one's nation
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- spiesSecret intelligence gatherers
- foreign agentsRepresentatives of another nation
moles · double agents · classified · leaks · counterintelligence · handlers · assets · defection · surveillance · wiretapping
collusionstransparency
State of being see-through
openness · candor · forthrightness · full disclosure · disclosures
collusionsfair competition
Contest without unfair advantage
open competition · competitive bidding · free market · price competition · level playing field
- corporate collusionIllegal business coordination