noun
Meaning 1
A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contraption
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
contrivance
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N T R AY1 V AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Something overly artful or artificial.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
the act of devising something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: devisal
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: invention
noun
Meaning 5
a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: appliance, contraption, convenience, gadget, gizmo, gismo, widget
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: device
Narrower terms: gadgetry, gimbal, injector, mod con
noun
Meaning 6
any improvised arrangement for temporary use
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lash-up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: arrangement
Narrower terms: temporary hookup, patch
noun
Meaning 7
the faculty of contriving; inventive skill
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- his skillful contrivance of answers to every problem
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: invention, innovation, excogitation, conception, design
noun
Meaning 8
an artificial or unnatural or obviously contrived arrangement of details or parts etc.
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the plot contained too many improbable contrivances to be believable
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: arrangement, organization, organisation, system
noun
Meaning 9
an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us off the track
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stratagem, dodge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: scheme, strategy
Narrower terms: plant, pump-and-dump scheme, wangle, wangling
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English contrive Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old French -ancebor. Middle English -aunce English -ance English contrivance From contrive + -ance.
Across languages
Translations
63 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: приспособление (prisposoblenie) — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Chinese Mandarin: 玩意兒 /玩意儿 (wányìr) — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Finnish: rekkula — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Finnish: vimpain — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Finnish: vempele — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- French: appareil — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- French: dispositif — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- German: Vorrichtung — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- German: Maschinerie — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- German: Apparat — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- German: Behelf — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Italian: aggeggio — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Italian: marchingegno — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Polish: urządzenie — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Polish: ustrojstwo — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Portuguese: aparelho — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Romanian: aparat — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Romanian: dispozitiv — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Russian: устро́йство (ustrójstvo) — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Russian: приспособле́ние (prisposoblénije) — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Spanish: aparato — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Turkish: düzenek — (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
- Bulgarian: средство (sredstvo) — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Bulgarian: способ (sposob) — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- French: stratagème — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: Vorrichtung — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: Erfindung — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: Plan — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: Kniff — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: List — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: Kunstgriff — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: Planung — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- German: Findigkeit — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Italian: stratagemma — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Italian: artefizio — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Italian: espediente — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Italian: accorgimento — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Italian: sotterfugio — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Polish: inwencja — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Polish: pomysłowość — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Portuguese: artifício — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Portuguese: artimanha — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Russian: зате́я (zatéja) — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Russian: план (plan) — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Russian: вы́думка (výdumka) — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Spanish: artificio — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Spanish: artimaña — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Spanish: estratagema — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Spanish: elucubración — elaborate means to accomplish an objective
- Bulgarian: хитрина (hitrina) — something overly artful or artificial
- Bulgarian: похват (pohvat) — something overly artful or artificial
- Dutch: vernuft — something overly artful or artificial
- Dutch: vindingrijkheid — something overly artful or artificial
- German: Konstrukt — something overly artful or artificial
- Italian: catorcio — something overly artful or artificial
- Italian: trabiccolo — something overly artful or artificial
- Italian: carretta — something overly artful or artificial
- Polish: sztuczność — something overly artful or artificial
- Russian: ухищре́ние (uxiščrénije) — something overly artful or artificial
- Russian: ухва́тка (uxvátka) — something overly artful or artificial
- Spanish: artefacto — something overly artful or artificial
- Spanish: artilugio — something overly artful or artificial
- Spanish: elucubración — something overly artful or artificial