contrivance
Americannoun
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something contrived; a device, especially a mechanical one.
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the act or manner of contriving; the faculty or power of contriving.
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a plan or scheme; expedient.
noun
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something contrived, esp an ingenious device; contraption
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the act or faculty of devising or adapting; inventive skill or ability
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an artificial rather than natural selection or arrangement of details, parts, etc
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an elaborate or deceitful plan or expedient; stratagem
Other Word Forms
- noncontrivance noun
- precontrivance noun
Etymology
Origin of contrivance
Explanation
A contrivance is a gadget or device that can be used for some particular purpose. The spinning blade of a blender is a contrivance that turns fruits and yogurt into a tasty smoothie. Yum. A contrivance is a useful device or tool. It might be assembled or invented, and it's often mechanical, although you can really refer to anything that's made for a specific purpose as a contrivance. The word sometimes also implies a falseness or obviousness, like the contrivance of a spy's very fake-looking beard that's supposed to disguise him, or the contrivance of a novel's complicated, unbelievable plot.
Vocabulary lists containing contrivance
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards
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"'Blaxicans' and Other Reinvented Americans," Vocabulary from the argument
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Bless Me, Ultima
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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.
And when the star is a legend on the level of Reiner, the contrivance can be even riskier.
From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025
But while the revelation that brings the play to a painful climax has a faint whiff of contrivance about it, the angry confrontation that ensues between Nelson and Nick has a bruising, brutal power.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025
Yet for all the contrivance, this match-up comes draped in the language of legacy.
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025
As the prosecution described it, the case that faces a man who made his Hollywood name with the artificial drama of “The Apprentice” needs no contrivance.
From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2024
‘I wonder if this is a contrivance of the Enemy,’ said Boromir.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
