contrived
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- contrivedly adverb
- uncontrived adjective
- well-contrived adjective
Etymology
Origin of contrived
Explanation
If you see something that seems fake since it was too perfectly planned out, call it contrived. If you can easily predict the final minutes of a made-for-TV movie, then call it contrived. The adjective contrived describes something that is artificially planned, especially in an obvious way, so it comes across as faked or forced. It's not just drama that can come off as contrived. Someone's speech habits, wardrobe, or even personality can seem contrived. Whenever someone appears as if he or she is "trying too hard," they might seem contrived, or the opposite of "natural."
Vocabulary lists containing contrived
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1984
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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.
However, with 25 minutes to go and the match seemingly there for the taking, England contrived to hand the initiative back to Italy.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
He Gets Us has been running these strange, Jesus-themed commercials for multiple Super Bowls in a row now, and they’re only getting more contrived.
From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026
But Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday: "Contrary to the hype of the contrived media war, structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing."
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
Three of them contrived to lose in Week 17, with two of those defeats coming to opponents who had already been eliminated from postseason contention.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
It had been contrived as a way of letting Winston know O’Brien’s address.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
