contrive

verb

con·​trive kən-ˈtrīv 

contrived; contriving

transitive verb

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

he contrived to win their support

intransitive verb

: to make schemes

contriver noun

Synonyms

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

Examples of contrive in a Sentence

The prisoners contrived a way to escape.

He contrived a meeting with the president.

Recent Examples on the Web

But when Arthur is released unharmed, rumors fly that the whole thing was a plot contrived by the son to extort money from his father. —Caroline Fraser june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025

Her lawyers say she was framed for the death in an elaborate conspiracy contrived by Massachusetts cops. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 21 May 2025

These have almost exclusively been in carefully contrived experiments that almost beg the AI to misbehave—for example, by asking it to pursue its goal at all costs. —Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025

But inexplicably, Villa contrived to lose the game, thanks in no small part to goalkeeper Emi Martinez’s sending off in the first half for a bizarre body-check on Rasmus Hojlund. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English controven, contreven, from Anglo-French controver, contrever, from Medieval Latin contropare to compare, from Latin com- + Vulgar Latin *tropare to compose, find — more at troubadour

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for contrive

• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• deprive
• derive
• revive
• survive
• dive
• drive
• five

Kids Definition

contrive

verb

con·​trive kən-ˈtrīv 

contrived; contriving

1

: plan entry 2 sense 1, plot

contrive a way to escape

2

: to form or make in a skillful or clever way : invent

3

: bring about, manage

contriving to make ends meet

contriver noun