contrivance

con·triv·ance

noun \kən-ˈtrī-vən(t)s\

Definition of CONTRIVANCE

1

a : a thing contrived; especially : a mechanical device b : an artificial arrangement or development

2

: the act or faculty of contriving : the state of being contrived

Examples of CONTRIVANCE

1. The story is filled with plot contrivances that do not fit the ending.
2. He told the story honestly and without contrivance.
3. a contrivance to get out of doing the work
4. He convinced her to go without using contrivance.

First Known Use of CONTRIVANCE

circa 1628

Related to CONTRIVANCE

Synonyms: appliance, contraption, gadget, gimmick, gizmo (also gismo), jigger, widget

Related Words: implement, instrument, tool, utensil; ingenuity, innovation, invention; accessory (also accessary), adjunct; mechanism, trick; dingus, doodad, doohickey, hickey, hootenanny [chiefly dialect], thingamabob, thingamajig (or thingumajig), thingummy

Near Antonyms: carbon copy, clone, copy, dupe, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, imitation, reduplication, replica, replication, reproduction

see all synonyms and antonyms

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