Definition of Contrivance
Contrivance
con·triv·ance
Definition/Meaning
(noun)
a scheme or strategy, the instance of using a particular skill or ability to create or develop something, make something happen, or broadly arrange a particular outcome;
e.g. His questions were a contrivance to find out where they had been without making them suspicious.
(noun)
the action of using particular skills or abilities to bring about some result in an artificial manner, or the skills or abilities thus used;
e.g. Their contrivance of an argument made people think they were fighting when they were actually working together.
(noun)
a device, especially a mechanical one, that has been designed with some creativity and skill for a particular purpose;
e.g. She used a special contrivance to complete the task quickly and efficiently.
(noun)
an element or technique in an artistic or literary work that makes it seem artificial in some way;
e.g. The author used a well-known contrivance to stage a conversation between the characters.
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