contrivance

English

Etymology

contrive +‎ -ance

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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Noun

contrivance (plural contrivances)

1. a (mechanical) device to perform a certain task
2. a means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective
   • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 266b.

     And along with each of these go their images, not the things themselves, — they too have come about by godlike contrivance.

3. something overly artful or artificial

Usage notes

See usage note at device.

Related terms

• contrive

Translations

(mechanical) device to perform a certain task

• Bulgarian: приспособление (bg) n (prisposoblenie)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 玩意兒 (cmn), 玩意儿 (cmn) (wányìr)

• Finnish: rekkula (fi), vimpain (fi), vempele (fi)

• French: appareil (fr) m, dispositif (fr) m
• German: Vorrichtung (de) f
• Russian: устройство (ru) (ustrójstvo) n , приспособление (ru) (prisposoblénije) n 

elaborate means to accomplish an objective

• Bulgarian: средство (bg) n (sredstvo), способ (bg) m (sposob)
• German: Vorrichtung (de) f, Erfindung (de) f

• Portuguese: artifício (pt) m
• Russian: затея (ru) (zatéja) f , план (ru) (plan) m , выдумка (ru) (výdumka) f 

something overly artful or artificial

• Bulgarian: хитрина (bg) f (hitrina), похват (bg) m (pohvat)

• Dutch: vernuft (nl) n, vindingrijkheid (nl) f
• Russian: ухищрение (ru) (uxiščrénije) n , ухватка (ru) (uxvátka) f 

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Portuguese: artifício (pt) m

External links

• contrivance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• contrivance in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911