Definition of 'contrive'
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense contrives
, present participle contriving
, past tense, past participle contrived
1. verb
[formal]
The oil companies were accused of contriving a shortage of gasoline to justify price
increases. [VERB noun]
2. verb
3. verb
[formal]
4. verb
[disapproval]
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
contrive in British English
verb
1. (transitive)
he contrived to make them meet
2. (transitive)
he contrived a new mast for the boat
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
contrivable (conˈtrivable) adjective
contriver (conˈtriver)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French controver, from Late Latin contropāre to represent by figures of speech, compare, from Latin com- together + tropus figure of speech, tropeWord Frequency
contrive in American English
verb transitiveWord forms: conˈtrived or conˈtriving
2.
to construct skillfully or ingeniously; fabricate
4.
to scheme for evil purposes
verb intransitive
5.
to form plans; scheme
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
contrivable (conˈtrivable)
adjective
contriver (conˈtriver)
noun
Word Frequency
contrive in American English
(kənˈtraiv) (verb -trived, -triving)
transitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. design, concoct. See prepare. 3. conspire, scheme. 5. connive.3.
to plot (evil, treachery, etc.)
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
contrivable adjective
contriver
noun
Word origin
[1275–1325; ME contreven ‹ MF contreuv-, tonic s. of controver to devise, invent, OF: to decide, agree upon ‹ LL contropāre to compare, equiv. to con- con- + *tropāre (˃F trouver to find; see trover); development of vowel unclear]Examples of 'contrive' in a sentence
contrive
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In other languages
contrive
British English: contrive
VERB /kənˈtraɪv/
If you contrive an event or situation, you succeed in making it happen, often by tricking someone.
The oil companies were accused of contriving a shortage of petrol to justify price increases.
- American English: contrive /kənˈtraɪv/
- Brazilian Portuguese: tramar
- Chinese: 策划常指用欺骗手段
- European Spanish: idear
- French: inventer
- German: arrangieren
- Italian: orchestrare
- Japanese: 企てる
- Korean: 획책하다
- European Portuguese: forjar
- Latin American Spanish: idear
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contrive
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Definition of contrive from the Collins English Dictionary
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