Meanings
present singular third person contrives · participle present contriving · participle past contrived · past contrived
- To invent by an exercise of ingeniosity; to devise
Neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught against his life.
1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter2 more examples
[…]I cannot bear the idea of two young women traveling post by themselves. It is highly improper. You must contrive to send somebody.
1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLCWith a little manœuvring they contrived to meet on the doorstep which was […] in a boiling stream of passers-by, hurrying business people speeding past in a flurry of fumes and dust in the bright haze.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 10, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC - To invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation.
- To project, cast, or set forth, as in a projection of light.
- obsoletetransitiveTo spend (time, or a period).
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
verbmake or work out a plan for; devise
verbcome up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchcontrover
- Middle Englishcontrive
- Englishcontrive
From Middle English contrive (15th c.), an alteration of contreve(n), controve(n) (“to invent”, 14th c.), from Old French controver, derived from trover (“to find”). Cognate with Modern French controuver. The Middle English form with -e- reflects the Old French tonic stem (il contrueve), but the shift to -i- seems to be unclear. The regular vocalism has been preserved in retrieve (for which in Middle English also retrive).
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μήδομαι, ἐπιβολεύω
- μήδομαι (mḗdomai)To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- ἐπιβολεύω (epiboleúō)To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- μηχανάομαι (mēkhanáomai)To invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- ἐκπορίζω (ekporízō)To invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
Bulgarian замислям, изобретявам
- замислям (zamisljam)To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- изобретявам (izobretjavam)To invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
Catalan idear
- idearTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
Czech sestrojit, vynalézt
- sestrojitTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- vynaléztTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- vymysletTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
Dutch beramen, ontwerpen
- beramenTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- ontwerpenTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- plannenTo project, cast, or set forth, as in a projection of light
Finnish suunnitella, keksiä
- suunnitellaTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- keksiäTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- improvisoidaTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- heittääTo project, cast, or set forth, as in a projection of light
French combiner, inventer
- combinerTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- inventerTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
German ersinnen, entwerfen
- ersinnenTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- entwerfenTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- bewerkstelligenTo project, cast, or set forth, as in a projection of light
Italian combinare, programmare
- combinareTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- programmareTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- intrigareTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- complottareTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- architettareTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- escogitareTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- inventareTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- mettere suTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
Romanian inventa, improviza
- inventaTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- improvizaTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
Russian замышлять, изобрета́ть
- замышлять (zamyšljatʹ)To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- изобрета́ть (izobretátʹ)To invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
Spanish idear, discurrir
- idearTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- discurrirTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- complotarTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- urdirTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- maquinarTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
Swedish tänka ut
- tänka utTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
Turkish akıl etmek, icat etmek
- akıl etmekTo form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to plan; to scheme; to plot
- icat etmekTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- tasarlamakTo invent, to make devices; to form designs especially by improvisation
- yolunu bulmakTo project, cast, or set forth, as in a projection of light
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with contrive
Anagrams
Cite this entry
contrive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrive
“contrive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrive. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contrive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrive.
Source: contrive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.