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- DictionaryCon·trive/kənˈtrīv/
verb
- 1. create or bring about (an object or a situation) by deliberate use of skill and artifice: "his opponents contrived a crisis"
Contrive definition: to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent. See examples of CONTRIVE used in a sentence.
contrive something to succeed in making something happen despite difficulties. I decided to contrive a meeting between the two of them. contrive something to think of or make something, for example a plan or a machine, in a clever way. They contrived a plan to defraud the company.
1. a. : devise, plan. contrive ways of handling the situation. The prisoners contrived a way to escape. b. : to form or create in an artistic or ingenious manner. contrived household utensils from stone. Native Americans contrived weapons out of stone, wood, and bone. 2. : to bring about by stratagem or with difficulty : manage.
contrive definition: to manage to do something difficult, or to make something happen, by using your intelligence or by…. Learn more.
v.t. to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent: The author contrived a clever plot. to bring about or effect by a plan, scheme, or the like; manage: He contrived to gain their votes. to plot (evil, treachery, etc.). v.i. to form designs; plan. to plot.
verb. These are words and phrases related to contrive. Click on any word or phrase to go to its thesaurus page. Or, go to the definition of contrive. She contrived a bookcase out of bricks and boards. Synonyms. devise. create. concoct. improvise. invent. design. The youths contrived to stow away on the ship. Synonyms. scheme. plot. plan.
Define contrive: to form or think of (a plan, method, etc.)—usage, synonyms, more.
There are ten meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb contrive, five of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
The meaning of contrive. Definition of contrive. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.
contrived. adjective. /kənˈtraɪvd/. /kənˈtraɪvd/. (disapproving) planned in advance and not natural or what somebody claims it is; written or arranged in a way that is not natural or realistic. a contrived situation. The book's happy ending seemed contrived. Extra Examples.
