Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for contrivance. Search instead for contrivanc.
Definitions

contrivance

[kuhn-trahy-vuhns] / kənˈtraɪ vəns /
NOUN
plan, fabrication
Synonyms
STRONGEST
artifice gimmick ruse
STRONG
angle brainchild coinage design dodge expedient formation intrigue invention inventiveness machination measure plot project scheme slant stratagem switch trick twist
Antonyms
STRONG
ignorance
WEAK
disorganization
NOUN
gadget
Synonyms
STRONGEST
contraption
STRONG
apparatus appliance brainchild coinage convenience creation device discovery engine equipment gear gimcrack harness implement instrument invention machine material mechanism tackle thingamabob thingamajig tool utensil whatsis widget
Antonyms
WEAK
disorganization

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And when the star is a legend on the level of Reiner, the contrivance can be even riskier.

From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025

But while the revelation that brings the play to a painful climax has a faint whiff of contrivance about it, the angry confrontation that ensues between Nelson and Nick has a bruising, brutal power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025

But a script with this much contrivance only works if it’s delivered with snap and confidence.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025

Yet for all the contrivance, this match-up comes draped in the language of legacy.

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025

To mount this argument he needs not just a complex contrivance but one which is in continuous movement.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton