contrivance

/kənˈtraɪvəns/
noun
  1. A clever or tricky plan or scheme, often to deceive or achieve something in a dishonest way.
    • The villain's contrivance to steal the treasure was finally uncovered.
    • She saw through his contrivance to get out of doing his chores.
    • The plot of the movie relied on an unlikely contrivance to save the hero.
  2. A cleverly designed device or invention, especially one that is unusual or complex.
    • The old clock was a remarkable contrivance of gears and springs.
    • He built a simple contrivance to open the gate from his car.
    • The museum displayed a Victorian contrivance for peeling apples.
  3. The act of planning or inventing something in a clever or artificial way.
    • The contrivance of the escape plan took weeks of careful thought.
    • The play felt unnatural because of the obvious contrivance in the dialogue.
    • Her contrivance of the story made it seem more exciting than it really was.
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