1
as in gadget
an interesting and often novel device with a practical use
a new contrivance for cleaning computer keyboards
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2
as in invention
something (as a device) created for the first time through the use of the imagination
despite the many modern contrivances for saving time and labor, we seem to have less leisure and energy than ever before
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3
as in imagination
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
in that writer's hands, narrative contrivance can often deteriorate into pointless gimmickry
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Examples of contrivance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Making Jaden the guilty party feels like a contrivance designed to shock viewers and subvert our expectations without bothering to convince us that this character had it in her to kill her father's lover.
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Judy Berman, TIME, 24 July 2024
Beyond the contrivances and unwieldy pieces in Riegel’s screenplay, a sensibility that’s coherent and urgent builds.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2024
There’s a certain laziness to the storytelling, as Perkins relies on tired serial-killer tropes to skip over the film’s more egregious contrivances.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 July 2024
His exclusion from the presidential debates confirms the ongoing contrivance to limit the impact of his candidacy.
—David Marks, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrivance 
Judy Berman, TIME, 24 July 2024
Beyond the contrivances and unwieldy pieces in Riegel’s screenplay, a sensibility that’s coherent and urgent builds.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2024
There’s a certain laziness to the storytelling, as Perkins relies on tired serial-killer tropes to skip over the film’s more egregious contrivances.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 July 2024
His exclusion from the presidential debates confirms the ongoing contrivance to limit the impact of his candidacy.
—David Marks, Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrivance
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contrivance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
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