devise
Americanverb (used with object)
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devises,
present (3rd person singular)
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devised,
past participle, past
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devising
present participle
-
to contrive, plan, or elaborate; invent from existing principles or ideas.
to devise a method.
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Theater. to develop (a play) collaboratively with the performers.
Based on the lives of women in engineering, the students devised the play themselves.
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Law. to assign or transmit (property) by will.
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Archaic. to imagine; suppose.
verb (used without object)
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devises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
devised,
past participle, past
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devising
present participle
noun
verb
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to work out, contrive, or plan (something) in one's mind
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(tr) law to dispose of (property, esp real property) by will
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obsolete (tr) to imagine or guess
noun
Synonym Usage
See prepare.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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devisesimple
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devisessimple
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have devisedperfect
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has devisedperfect
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am devisingprogressive
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are devisingprogressive
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is devisingprogressive
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have been devisingperfect progressive
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has been devisingperfect progressive
Past
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devisedsimple
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had devisedperfect
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was devisingprogressive
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were devisingprogressive
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had been devisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of devise
First recorded in 1150–1200; (verb) Middle English devisen “to inspect, design, compose,” from Old French deviser, from unattested Vulgar Latin dēvīsāre, for unattested dīvīsāre, frequentative of Latin dīvidere “to divide” ( see divide); (noun) see device
Explanation
To devise is to figure out a plan. Men twirling long mustaches might devise a plan to tie someone to the railroad tracks. To devise a plan is more than just making one; there's a lot of figuring out to do, such as: "Phoebe devised a bus route that picked up kids in alphabetical order." There's a method to the madness of devising. The chemistry class devised a plan to make the fire alarm go off. Devise can be positive, too, meaning to find a creative solution: "The design team devised a plan to make the trailer home look like a medieval castle."
Vocabulary lists containing devise
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Walk Two Moons
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The Things They Carried
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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:
During World War II, while working for the government, he had used multiple regression analysis—a means of statistical prediction—to try to devise two stronger alloys for use in military airplanes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
But studies show AI text detectors are often unreliable, generating false positives that can erode trust between instructors and students and forcing teachers to devise innovative methods to detect cheating and evaluate assignments.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
A former Trump administration official told ProPublica the group’s purpose was to strengthen the United States’ strategic position in Greenland and devise policies to bring the two closer.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
But Frazer Rhodes, who worked in government across a decade to help build the technology and devise high thresholds for the alerts, feels a review is now necessary to avoid future ones backfiring.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
One Harvard computer, Annie Jump Cannon, used her repetitive acquaintance with the stars to devise a system of stellar classifications so practical that it is still in use today.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Mr. Fielder, unable to record their conversations, devises a droll workaround deploying his signature meta-comic style.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
He oversees training, takes charge of set-piece routines and devises certain patterns of play.
From BBC ● May 28, 2024
When other teachers begin to complain about having valuable items stolen in their lounge, she devises a trap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2023
He said he has no problem sharing the carries with the Jets in whatever role coordinator Nathaniel Hackett devises for him in his offense.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 29, 2023
Down on the ground, he devises spectacles for the duke.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Elements Gehry devised to set it apart are already visible, as construction on the $337-million addition to the Colburn School of Performing Arts reveals details the architect conceived years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Rantzen also devised and presented Hearts of Gold, a programme that celebrated previously unknown people who had been responsible for good deeds.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Except the library had devised a vastly superior arrangement: There was nothing I had to purchase in order to qualify.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
"In this war, solutions devised during the Cold War will not work, nor will ideas developed over the past decade prove effective," he said, referring to naming-and-shaming tactics as one example.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Brother Luke and Brother Matthew between them devised a sort of chair-saddle in which Robin could ride.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
After polling officials in 90 Florida cities and counties, researchers said the officials were already devising backup plans to put in effect if the amendment passes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
The ChatGPT maker said Tuesday that its internal testing had determined that the forthcoming model, called Astra, is capable of devising and executing novel cyberattacks against difficult targets with only limited human input.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Councils and mayors will play a leading role in devising local solutions with the areas with the biggest problem receiving the most support.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
These credentials are meant to help workers prove they have skills like devising effective prompts or using AI for business strategy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
It is, of course, the responsibility of every butler to devote his utmost care in the devising of a staff plan.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
