contrivance
something contrived; a device, especially a mechanical one.
the act or manner of contriving; the faculty or power of contriving.
a plan or scheme; expedient.
Origin of contrivance
1Other words from contrivance
- non·con·triv·ance, noun
- pre·con·triv·ance, noun
Words Nearby contrivance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use contrivance in a sentence
While I’m sure it makes perfect sense to the algorithm, the result is an exceedingly strange, questionably authentic mix of moods, genre conventions and contrivances.
Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life Is More Bravo Docusoap Than Real-Life Unorthodox | Judy Berman | July 14, 2021 | TimeDespite reality TV being a buzzing hive of manipulations and contrivances, the captain says Sailing Yacht remains, at least in its filming methods, pure.
Is Glenn Shephard, the ‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’ Captain, the Nicest Guy on Reality TV? | Tim Teeman | May 14, 2021 | The Daily BeastHere, however, the novel ends with unearned sentimentality and cheap contrivance.
Ian McEwan's New Novel Keeps Life at Arm's Length | Nick Romeo | September 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe endless succession of quotation marks is its own contrivance, a scrim between Shields and the world.
Baseball: "an incredibly complex contrivance that seems to have been created by a chauvinistic mathematician."
He dwelt upon this contrivance, until it seemed too complicated for success.
The latter seems to have suggested the contrivance and the former to have done the practical work.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing Miller"It was by Marius's contrivance that he was placed sentry over the girl," he heard her tell Fortunio, and he thought she sneered.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael SabatiniSuch a contrivance helps to improve the leeway of so shallow a boat, although not proportionately to the area immersed.
Yachting Vol. 2 | Various.Toward the latter part of his sickness, a rude contrivance was adopted to change his position in bed.
Charles Duran | The Author of The Waldos
British Dictionary definitions for contrivance
/ (kənˈtraɪvəns) /
something contrived, esp an ingenious device; contraption
the act or faculty of devising or adapting; inventive skill or ability
an artificial rather than natural selection or arrangement of details, parts, etc
an elaborate or deceitful plan or expedient; stratagem
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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