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Synonyms

contrivance

American  
[kuhn-trahy-vuhns] / kənˈtraɪ vəns /

noun

  1. something contrived; a device, especially a mechanical one.

  2. the act or manner of contriving; the faculty or power of contriving.

  3. a plan or scheme; expedient.


contrivance British  
/ kənˈtraɪvəns /

noun

  1. something contrived, esp an ingenious device; contraption

  2. the act or faculty of devising or adapting; inventive skill or ability

  3. an artificial rather than natural selection or arrangement of details, parts, etc

  4. 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

Other Word Forms

  • noncontrivance noun
  • precontrivance noun

Etymology

Origin of contrivance

First recorded in 1620–30; contrive + -ance

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing contrivance

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

Someone makes a jokey reference to the cartoon contrivance of “Scooby-Doo,” and the comparison is brutally apt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

There are those in the F1 paddock who feel that the move is a contrivance, a knee-jerk reaction to a specific set of circumstances that happened to unfold last year.

From BBC • May 23, 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

To mount this argument he needs not just a complex contrivance but one which is in continuous movement.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton