contrived
adjective
con·trived
kən-ˈtrīvd 
: having an unnatural or false appearance or quality : artificial, labored
a contrived plot
Examples of contrived in a Sentence
… it may remind readers of Christopher Nolan's ingeniously contrived mystery film "Memento" …
—
Joyce Carol Oates, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2005
The music industry has become far more image conscious and contrived since her first album affected me so profoundly …
—Lisa Marie Presley, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
There are some who scorn that sterling art form, the afternoon soap opera, alleging that its characters are unbelievable, its plots contrived and its action negligible.
—Lydel Sims, Assignment: Memphis, 1982
The movie's contrived ending was a big disappointment.
The results of the test seemed somewhat contrived.
Joyce Carol Oates, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2005
The music industry has become far more image conscious and contrived since her first album affected me so profoundly …
—Lisa Marie Presley, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
There are some who scorn that sterling art form, the afternoon soap opera, alleging that its characters are unbelievable, its plots contrived and its action negligible.
—Lydel Sims, Assignment: Memphis, 1982
The movie's contrived ending was a big disappointment.
The results of the test seemed somewhat contrived.
Recent Examples on the Web
Aunt Fely, with her compliments and her contrived umbrage at the theatricality of my sartorial gesture, was only a minute away.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Adroitly balancing humor and pathos, her performance brings the only real human element to the overly contrived proceedings.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
The hundreds of millions of people who follow her are aware of this disconnect and embrace the contrived aspect of her persona in a way that’s more meta than classic Hollywood hero worship.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Perhaps more meaningfully, the message is the antithesis of a contrived political pitch or a hectoring sermon.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Adroitly balancing humor and pathos, her performance brings the only real human element to the overly contrived proceedings.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
The hundreds of millions of people who follow her are aware of this disconnect and embrace the contrived aspect of her persona in a way that’s more meta than classic Hollywood hero worship.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Perhaps more meaningfully, the message is the antithesis of a contrived political pitch or a hectoring sermon.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Cite this Entry
“Contrived.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrived. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
