Meaning & use
contrivance
Last updated
A clever device, plan, or scheme, often one that seems artificial or overly elaborate.
See it in a sentence
The plot's happy ending felt like a contrivance rather than a natural resolution.
He built an ingenious little contrivance out of springs and pulleys to open the gate automatically.
A note on using this word
Frequently used in literary criticism to describe a plot device that feels forced or unrealistic.
Words with a similar meaning
devicescheme
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