devise

1 of 2

verb

de·​vise di-ˈvīz 

devised; devising

transitive verb

1

a

: to form in the mind by new combinations or applications of ideas or principles : invent

devise a new strategy

b

archaic : conceive, imagine

c

: to plan to obtain or bring about : plot

devise one's death

2

law : to give (real estate) by will (see will entry 2 sense 1) compare bequeath

devisable

di-ˈvī-zə-bəl 

adjective

deviser noun

devise

2 of 2

noun

1

law : the act of giving or disposing of real (see real entry 1 sense 2) property by will (see will entry 2 sense 1)

2

law : a will or clause of a will disposing of real property

3

law : property devised by will

Did you know?

There's something inventive about devise, a word that stems from Latin dividere, meaning "to divide." By the time devise began being used in early Middle English, its Anglo-French forebear deviser had accumulated an array of senses, including "divide," "distribute," "arrange," "array," "digest," "order," "plan," "invent," "contrive," and "assign by will." English adopted most of these and added some new senses over the course of time, such as "imagine," "guess," "pretend," and "describe." In modern use, we've disposed of a lot of the old meanings, but we have kept the one that applies to wills; devise has traditionally referred to the transfer of real property (land), and bequeath to personal property. These days, this devise is most often recognized as applying generally to all the property in a person's estate.

Synonyms

Verb

• concoct
• construct
• contrive
• cook (up)
• drum up
• excogitate
• fabricate
• invent
• make up
• manufacture
• think (up)
• trump up
• vamp (up)

Examples of devise in a Sentence

Verb

They have devised a new method for converting sunlight into electricity.

she quickly devised a new scheme when the first one failed

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The resulting decision from the court will likely mean a narrowing of the Jan. 6 case against Trump based on whatever rule the majority devises for what official acts are fair game for prosecution. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024

Apparently in response, the U.S. Chess Federation convened a committee to correct these deficiencies, and in 1960 adopted a system devised by a Hungarian American chess master and physics professor named Arpad Elo. —Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French deviser, diviser, to divide, distinguish, invent, from Vulgar Latin *divisare, frequentative of Latin dividere to divide

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

devise

verb

de·​vise

di-ˈvīz

devised; devising

1

: to form in the mind by new combinations or applications of ideas or principles : invent

devise a solution to the problem

2

: to give (real estate) by will

devised the property to his daughter

deviser noun

Legal Definition

devise

1 of 2 transitive verb

de·​vise di-ˈvīz 

devised; devising

: to give (property) by will

specifically : to give (real property) by will compare alienate, bequeath, convey

devisable adjective

devisor

ˌde-və-ˈzȯr; di-ˈvī-ˌzȯr, -zər 

noun

devise

2 of 2 noun

1

: a gift of property made in a will

specifically : a gift of real property made in a will see also abate, ademption compare distribution

Note: Formerly devise was used to refer only to gifts of real property, and legacy and bequest were used only to refer to gifts of personal property. These distinctions are no longer closely followed. The Uniform Probate Code uses devise to refer to any gifts made in a will.

— executory devise

: a devise of an interest in land that will vest in the future upon the occurrence of a contingency and that can follow a fee simple estate

Note: Executory devises were invented as a way of getting around the rule in Shelley's case, which is now largely abolished.

— general devise

: a devise that is to be distributed from the general assets of an estate and that is not of a particular thing

— residuary devise

: a devise of whatever is left in an estate after all other debts and devises have been paid or distributed

— specific devise

: a devise of a particular item or part of an estate that is payable only from a specified source in the estate and not from the general assets

2

: a clause in a will disposing of property and especially real property

3

: property disposed of by a will

Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French deviser to divide, share, bequeath, ultimately from Latin dividere to divide