contrivance
C1Formal and literary; occasionally critical.
Definition
Meaning
A clever, artificial, or overly elaborate device, scheme, or plan; something invented or devised.
The act or skill of cleverly devising something; can imply a lack of naturalness or spontaneity, suggesting artificiality.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often carries a negative connotation of over-complication or artificiality, but can be neutral when referring to mechanical ingenuity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or spelling. Slightly more frequent in British formal writing.
Connotations
Negative connotation of unnecessary complexity is shared. Neutral engineering sense is slightly more common in American technical contexts.
Frequency
Low frequency in both varieties, primarily found in formal writing and critique.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
a contrivance for + V-inga contrivance to + infinitiveby means of a contrivancethe contrivance of (an author/engineer)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a plot contrivance”
- “by contrivance (not by nature)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Used critically: 'The new reporting system is a bureaucratic contrivance.'
Academic
Used in literary criticism (plot contrivance), philosophy (social contrivance), and history of technology.
Everyday
Very rare. If used, implies disapproval: 'The whole surprise party felt like a contrivance.'
Technical
Neutral in engineering/design history: 'A simple contrivance for lifting water.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- To contrive a means of escape.
- He contrived to make the meeting last hours.
American English
- They contrived a plan to reduce costs.
- She contrived to get the promotion.
adverb
British English
- The scene was contrivedly sentimental.
- He smiled contrivedly for the camera.
American English
- The dialogue was contrivedly witty.
- She laughed contrivedly at the joke.
adjective
British English
- His solution seemed overly contrived.
- A contrived accent.
American English
- The plot felt contrived and unrealistic.
- A contrived smile.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The film's ending felt like a contrivance.
- He built a simple contrivance to open the window.
- The plot relies on a series of unlikely contrivances to move forward.
- The agreement was a political contrivance that pleased no one.
- Critics dismissed the peace treaty as a diplomatic contrivance unlikely to last.
- The novel is marred by its reliance on narrative contrivance rather than character development.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CONTRIVED + ANCE. A CONTRIVANCE is the result of something being CONTRIVED (artificially planned).
Conceptual Metaphor
INGENUITY IS A MACHINE (often a broken or overly complex one). ARTIFICIALITY IS A CONSTRUCT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation to 'изобретение' unless referring to a physical gadget. 'Устройство' is more neutral for gadget sense. Negative sense is closer to 'выдумка', 'ухищрение', 'искусственность'.
- Do not use as a direct equivalent for 'приспособление' in casual contexts; it's too formal.
Common Mistakes
- Using as a common word for 'invention' (it's rarer and often critical).
- Confusing with 'contraption' (which is more informal and often humorous).
- Misspelling: 'contrivence'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'contrivance' most likely to have a NEUTRAL or positive connotation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is often negative, implying something is overly clever, artificial, or unnatural. However, in technical or historical contexts (e.g., 'a mechanical contrivance'), it can be neutral.
A 'contraption' is a informal, often humorous word for a strange or complicated machine or gadget. A 'contrivance' is more formal and abstract; it can be a scheme or plot device, not just a physical object, and carries stronger connotations of artificiality.
No, 'contrivance' is only a noun. The related verb is 'contrive', and the adjective is 'contrived'.
It is a low-frequency word, typical of C1 (Advanced) level. You will encounter it mostly in formal writing, literary criticism, and academic texts, not in everyday conversation.