contrivance

English

Etymology

contrive +‎ -ance

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kənˈtɹaɪ.vəns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

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

Coordinate terms

• contraption

Related terms

• contrive

Translations

(mechanical) device to perform a certain task

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

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

• Finnish: rekkula, vimpain, vempele (fi)
• French: appareil (fr) m, dispositif (fr) m

• German: Vorrichtung (de) f, Maschinerie (de) f, Apparat (de) m, Behelf (de) m
• Italian: aggeggio (it) m, marchingegno (it) m
• Portuguese: aparelho (pt) m
• Russian: устро́йство (ru) n (ustrójstvo), приспособле́ние (ru) n (prisposoblénije)
• Spanish: aparato (es) m

elaborate means to accomplish an objective

• Bulgarian: средство (bg) n (sredstvo), способ (bg) m (sposob)
• German: Vorrichtung (de) f, Erfindung (de) f, Plan (de) m, Kniff (de) m, List (de) f, Kunstgriff (de) m, Planung (de) f, Findigkeit (de) f
• Italian: stratagemma (it) m, artefizio m, espediente (it) m, accorgimento (it) m, sotterfugio (it) m

• Portuguese: artifício (pt) m, artimanha (pt) f
• Russian: зате́я (ru) f (zatéja), план (ru) m (plan), вы́думка (ru) f (výdumka)

something overly artful or artificial

• Bulgarian: хитрина (bg) f (hitrina), похват (bg) m (pohvat)
• Dutch: vernuft (nl) n, vindingrijkheid f
• Italian: catorcio (it) m, trabiccolo m, carretta f

• Russian: ухищре́ние (ru) n (uxiščrénije), ухва́тка (ru) f (uxvátka)
• Spanish: artefacto (es) m

Further reading

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