Contrivance

Pronunciation

Origin

contrive + -ance

Full definition of contrivance

Noun

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. .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

Related terms

• contrive