contrive
Americanverb (used with object)
-
contrives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contrived,
past participle, past
-
contriving
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
contrives,
present (3rd person singular)
-
contrived,
past participle, past
-
contriving
present participle
-
to form designs; plan.
-
to plot.
- Synonyms:
- connive
verb
-
(tr) to manage (something or to do something), esp by means of a trick; engineer
he contrived to make them meet
-
(tr) to think up or adapt ingeniously or elaborately
he contrived a new mast for the boat
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to plot or scheme (treachery, evil, etc)
Synonym Usage
See prepare.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contrivesimple
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contrivessimple
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have contrivedperfect
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has contrivedperfect
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am contrivingprogressive
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are contrivingprogressive
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is contrivingprogressive
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have been contrivingperfect progressive
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has been contrivingperfect progressive
Past
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contrivedsimple
-
had contrivedperfect
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was contrivingprogressive
-
were contrivingprogressive
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had been contrivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contrive
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English contreven, from Middle French contreuv-, tonic stem of controver “to devise, invent,” Old French: “to decide, agree upon,” from Late Latin contropāre “to compare,” equivalent to con- con- + (unattested) tropāre (becoming French trouver “to find”; see trover); development of vowel unclear
Explanation
When you contrive, you make a plan or a plot. It may take you longer to contrive your way out of doing your homework than would to actually do it. Even though contrive often has a false or cunning feel to it, it is not always a bad thing. Mental effort is always required though, as contrive is often used in connection with inventing schemes and plans to make something happen. Contraption, a complicated mysterious device that does something, is related to contrive. Have you ever seen a Rube Goldberg contraption? When you contrive to do something, your plan may end up being that complicated.
Vocabulary lists containing contrive
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The members must contrive to pay the new guy off, which means redeeming the deadbeat’s paper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
Of course, if the show becomes a fantabulous success, the Netflix engineers may contrive a way to make it live again; it’s happened before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2025
Two years later, and after missing out on Qatar 2022 there are fears that Italy will somehow contrive to once again be absent from a major tournament.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2023
One of the first things McCartney did when he took over the Buffs in 1982 was contrive a rivalry with Nebraska and ban red in the football building.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
“I have cast my lot with my friend, and I will contrive some way to go to him. But your safety is the matter now at hand.”
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
So even if the U.S. somehow contrives to lose to Paraguay, draw with Australia, and lose to Turkey, for example, it’s highly likely they’ll get into the Round of 16.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
With the younger son taking over as jailer, this goes on for a century, until Dream contrives to escape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2022
A couple of times in this short and occasionally exhilarating feature from Colombia, its director, Camilo Restrepo, contrives striking visual juxtapositions.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
And while the Survivor season contrives to have its David come out ahead, White’s fictionalized version offers no such assurances about the triumph of the underdog.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2021
Technical proofs are the arguments that the orator contrives.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Without being stagey or contrived, Mr. Mungiu explores a conflict with implications far beyond the courtroom showdown in his climax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
In a film full of contrived indignities, this is the most maddening, suggesting that anyone watching the film is no more clever than the “Fossil Fools” audience members.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
Scenes designed to advance the plot feel more contrived than ones in which characters just share thoughts and feelings, but there are plenty of those.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
"I think that there's a strategy to divide and conquer and to create a very contrived confusion," he argues.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
You can see the shafts of the huge chimneys and how cunningly the side flues were contrived to enter them, and the little private closets now public, and the enormous kitchen.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
The FDA implicitly concedes that the RP1 results are impressive by contriving ridiculous reasons to argue they could be exaggerated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
Redondo hit the post twice in a matter of seconds - first seeing her header brilliantly tipped on to the woodwork by Daphne van Domselaar, before contriving to turn the rebound off the same upright.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2023
Perhaps his primary knack was for contriving a tension between immaculate optics and human entropy.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 25, 2023
Penalties should be imposed not only for lax adherence to the rules but also for excess severity in contriving them.
From Slate ● Jan. 19, 2023
I counted to one hundred as I rocked, contriving the patience to get one down in order to take up another.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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