Meanings
- participlepastsimple past and past participle of contrive
comparative more contrived · superlative most contrived
- Created in a deliberate, rather than natural or spontaneous, way.
contrived joke
4 more examples
contrived answer
contrived speech
contrived solution
Sign languages are natural languages, emerging spontaneously when a group of deaf people meets and interacts on a regular basis over a period of time. They differ from spoken languages in terms of the physical modality in which they are transmitted. However, like spoken languages, they arise within a community, and are not contrived systems of communication.
2013, Irit Meir, Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics, volume 3 (overall work in English), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 561 - Unnatural, forced; artificial, or unrealistic.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveshowing effects of planning or manipulation
adjectiveartificially formal
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Catalan artificial, forçat
- artificialunnatural, forced
- forçatunnatural, forced
Chinese Mandarin 人為的 /人为的, 刻意的
- 人為的 /人为的 (rénwéi de)created in a deliberate way
- 刻意的 (kèyì de)created in a deliberate way
- 不自然的 (bùzìrán de)unnatural, forced
- 做作的 (zuòzuo de)unnatural, forced
- 人為的 /人为的 (rénwéi de)unnatural, forced
- 矯揉造作的 /矫揉造作的 (jiǎoróuzàozuò de)unnatural, forced
Dutch gekunsteld, slinks
- gekunsteldunnatural, forced
- slinksunnatural, forced
- bedrieglijkunnatural, forced
- bij de haren getrokkenunnatural, forced
Finnish tarkoituksellinen, teennäinen
- tarkoituksellinencreated in a deliberate way
- teennäinencreated in a deliberate way
- pakotettucreated in a deliberate way
- väkinäinenunnatural, forced
- teennäinenunnatural, forced
- epäaitounnatural, forced
- pakotettuunnatural, forced
French artificiel, forcé
- artificielunnatural, forced
- forcéunnatural, forced
- affectéunnatural, forced
- feintunnatural, forced
German unnatürlich, gezwungen
- unnatürlichunnatural, forced
- gezwungenunnatural, forced
- gekünsteltunnatural, forced
- künstlichunnatural, forced
Greek σχεδιασμένος, σκηνοοθετημένος
- σχεδιασμένος (schediasménos)unnatural, forced
- σκηνοοθετημένος (skinoothetiménos)unnatural, forced
Hindi मनगढ़ंत, कल्पित
- मनगढ़ंत (managṛhant)unnatural, forced
- कल्पित (kalpit)unnatural, forced
Hungarian megrendezett, beállított
- megrendezettcreated in a deliberate way
- beállítottcreated in a deliberate way
- kiagyaltcreated in a deliberate way
- kieszeltcreated in a deliberate way
- mesterkéltunnatural, forced
- erőltetettunnatural, forced
- műviunnatural, forced
- keresettunnatural, forced
Irish tacair
- tacairunnatural, forced
Norwegian Bokmål oppkonstruert, kunstig
- oppkonstruertunnatural, forced
- kunstigunnatural, forced
Polish wydumany, sztuczny
- wydumanyunnatural, forced
- sztucznyunnatural, forced
- przekombinowanyunnatural, forced
Portuguese deliberado
- deliberadocreated in a deliberate way
Romanian forțat, artificial
- forțatunnatural, forced
- artificialunnatural, forced
Russian неесте́ственный, иску́сственно со́зданный
- неесте́ственный (nejestéstvennyj)created in a deliberate way
- иску́сственно со́зданный (iskússtvenno sózdannyj)created in a deliberate way
- специа́льно со́зданный (speciálʹno sózdannyj)created in a deliberate way
- неесте́ственный (nejestéstvennyj)unnatural, forced
Spanish muy elaborado, maquinado
- muy elaboradocreated in a deliberate way
- maquinadocreated in a deliberate way
- complotadocreated in a deliberate way
- urdidocreated in a deliberate way
- artificiosounnatural, forced
Swedish krystad, långsökt
- krystadunnatural, forced
- långsöktunnatural, forced
Cite this entry
contrived. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrived
“contrived.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrived. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contrived,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contrived.
Source: contrived on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.