noun
contrivance
Contrivance (noun) means a machine or tool designed to carry out a particular job.
noun
1
A machine or tool designed to carry out a particular job.
2
A clever plan or scheme used to achieve a particular goal.
"And along with each of these go their images, not the things themselves, — they too have come about by godlike contrivance."
— Plato, translated by Lesley Brown (2005)
3
Something that seems too cleverly arranged to feel natural or genuine.
"The retrospective emphasis on these two specific stories—even their mention here, in the previous paragraph—has become a contrivance."
— Chuck Klosterman, The Nineties (2022)
"The Harry Hamlin character is a bit of a hypochondriac, a contrivance that exists for the sole purpose of bringing him into contact with the confused young doctor at the clinic."
— Walta Borawski, A Moonlight Walk in a Crimeless Park (1982)
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Synonyms
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Rhymes for contrivance
See all rhymes for contrivance →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of contrivance?
"contrivance" (noun) means a machine or tool designed to carry out a particular job.
What is another word for contrivance?
Other words for "contrivance" include appliance, widget, gismo, stratagem, contraption, gadget.
What are the different meanings of contrivance?
"contrivance" has 3 main meanings: 1. A machine or tool designed to carry out a particular job; 2. A clever plan or scheme used to achieve a particular goal; 3. Something that seems too cleverly arranged to feel natural or genuine.
