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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Recent Examples of contrivance
Often this involves teasing out the emotional possibilities of game-design contrivances.
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Gabriel Winslow-Yost, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
In the late nineteen-nineties, Back was an obscure English cryptographer known for a contrivance called hashcash, one of the many conceptual forerunners to Bitcoin.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024
The first episode of Daryl Dixon Season 2 is so poorly written, with so many contrivances, plot holes and rookie mistakes, I am left with zero faith in the rest of the season.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Still, Hoffman’s demanding and radical view of documentary filmmaking and its inherent contrivances was artistically fruitful, not as a dictate to other filmmakers but a guiding light for his own work.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrivance 
Gabriel Winslow-Yost, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
In the late nineteen-nineties, Back was an obscure English cryptographer known for a contrivance called hashcash, one of the many conceptual forerunners to Bitcoin.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024
The first episode of Daryl Dixon Season 2 is so poorly written, with so many contrivances, plot holes and rookie mistakes, I am left with zero faith in the rest of the season.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Still, Hoffman’s demanding and radical view of documentary filmmaking and its inherent contrivances was artistically fruitful, not as a dictate to other filmmakers but a guiding light for his own work.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contrivance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrivance
Noun
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While wine gift catalogs feature heavily on oversize, pricey gadgets to open bottles, Stroemer, like most wine professionals, swears by the simple, inexpensive Pulltaps double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew.Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024
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As someone with an aversion to traditional TVs, this gadget from Amazon is a mainstay of movie marathons in my house.Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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With respect to crypto assets, the invention of Bitcoin and the blockchain—a secure and decentralized digital ledger—and the rise of social media, satisfied the first two requirements, but Wall Street and policymakers remained suspicious of the sector.John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
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In the late 19th century, before the invention of cinema and radio, every piece of music, performance, oration—even a natural view like a rainbow—was a unique event.Todd Eckert, WIRED, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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So use your imagination to be with your friend in their grief.Julia Furlan, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
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As far as color and shape, the only limit is your imagination.Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The question is whether the convenience of these tools is worth the risk of occasionally shaky results.David Nield, WIRED, 9 Dec. 2024
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Mayor Bloomberg issued 465 executive orders in three terms, including 345 emergency orders chiefly related to an enduring strike of some bus lines and Hurricane Sandy, records show Before that the tool was used more sparingly and rarely for emergencies, archival records show.Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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With better data came a shift to a quality-over-quantity approach, and advertisers began to consider factors such as ad placement, page load and creative innovation—all gauged with yet more data.Sergii Denysenko, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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When selecting new innovation projects, some committees prize consensus — and thus end up funding only ideas whose success is plain to see, which is often an incremental innovation.Ronald Klingebiel Lucas Böttcher, Harvard Business Review, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Needless to say, those who hate the thought of decorating for hours on end were incredibly jealous of this contraption.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
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But one contraption from the original Saw, which is the only movie in the franchise that Wan, 47, has directed, still stands out as his favorite.Jen Juneau, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Fragmented Beginnings The origins of Progressive’s innovation program can be traced to the early 2010s when the company had several distinct initiatives to stimulate creativity and problem-solving.Stephen Wunker, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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There is a fair path that rewards creativity and delivers the promises of AI.Craig Peters, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near contrivance
Cite this Entry
“Contrivance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrivance. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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