Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use contrivance in a sentence

15 example sentences · noun

Contrivance means a (mechanical) device to perform a certain task. Example: “And along with each of these go their images, not the things themselves, — they too have come about by godlike contrivance.”

Examples of contrivance by meaning

nounA means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective.

  • And along with each of these go their images, not the things themselves, — they too have come about by godlike contrivance.2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 266b

nounSomething overly artful or artificial.

  • The Harry Hamlin character is a bit of a hypochondriac, a contrivance that exists for the sole purpose of bringing him into contact with the confused young doctor at the clinic.1982 February 13, Walta Borawski, “A Moonlight Walk in a Crimeless Park”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 29, page 7
  • The retrospective emphasis on these two specific stories—even their mention here, in the previous paragraph—has become a contrivance.2022, Chuck Klosterman, The Nineties, New York: Penguin Press, →ISBN

More sentences with contrivance

  • For Sauvignon followers who crave a softer style, this asparagussy contrivance might serve.2013, Ned Halley, Best Wines in the Supermarket 2014, London; […]: Foulsham, page 107. From the entry asparagussy
  • Seeing things thus will have their course, their appointed changes and vicissities, no contrivance or labor of men can prevent it.2006, Jonathan Edwards, Stephen J. Stein, The "blank Bible" - Volume 24, Part 1, page 585. From the entry vicissity
  • If he hated cats, there had been a dozen contrivances in the attic to suit the purpose of felinicide.1993, Susan Wilson Younkins, The Needlepoint Clock Mystery, Hagerstown, MD, →ISBN, page 55. From the entry felinicide
  • Near Namur on the Meuse he describes a hermits' lodge carved in stone with the internal movable contrivance representing the Passion.1989, Sven-Olof Lindquist, Birgitta Radhe, Economy and Culture in the Baltic, 1650-1700. From the entry begrieve
  • Various lewd contrivances, among them the Chinese ‘hedge-hog,’ ovoid objects, and similar apparatus have all been perversely used as amatory stimulants.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 215. From the entry Chinese hedgehog
  • Here Tony is unconvincingly cast as a comprehensive school teacher who through some tortuous contrivance ends up as an unwitting, and apparently unwilling, gigolo.1993 April 9, Chris Rundle, “Too much of Tony . . .”, in Western Daily Press, Temple Way, Bristol, page 7. From the entry bedwettingly
  • A short-knifed wheat header, such as is used in harvesting wheat and barley in California, if especially strongly built, has been suggested as a practicable contrivance.1921 December 16, F[rederick] G[eorge] Krauss, The Pigeon Pea (Cajanus indicus): Its Culture and Utilization in Hawaii (Hawaii…. From the entry knifed
  • Shoes that are stitched aloft go through the same operations as the channel-stitched shoes, with the exception that the rounding machine contrivance of cutting is eliminated.1912, William Henry Dooley, A Manual of Shoemaking and Leather and Rubber Products, page 134. From the entry stitch aloft
  • There was a contrivance for rendering the rope visible to the crew, and another to assist those on shore to descry the exact position of the ship in distress.1912, Frederick Converse Beach, George Edwin Rines, The Americana. From the entry life-arrow
  • The tenants, conclaving together of an evening on doorsteps, had come to the conclusion that the Universal Thrift Club was the very contrivance which they lacked for years.1911 February 23, Arnold Bennett, “His Burglary”, in The Card: A Story of Adventure in the Five Towns (Methuen’s Colonial Library), 2nd…. From the entry conclave
  • He has been a Daisy-kicker, and, by his arts and contrivances having saved a little money, is now a regular dealer, and may generally be seen here on selling days.1911, Real Life in London, page 162. From the entry daisy-kicker
  • Not only kitchen utensils, but laundry fittings, and household furnishings generally; including patent labour-saving devices, and newly invented contrivances which were supposed to be of great aid to any housewife.1904, Carolyn Wells, “Shopping”, in Patty at Home, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, →OCLC, page 63. From the entry labour-saving

Meaning of contrivance

  1. noun A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task.
  2. noun A means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective.
  3. noun Something overly artful or artificial.

Full definition of contrivance

Questions about contrivance in a sentence

How do you use contrivance in a sentence?
Contrivance is used as a noun. For example: “And along with each of these go their images, not the things themselves, — they too have come about by godlike contrivance.”
What is a short sentence with contrivance?
“For Sauvignon followers who crave a softer style, this asparagussy contrivance might serve.”
What does contrivance mean?
Contrivance means a (mechanical) device to perform a certain task.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: contrivance (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use contrivance in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/contrivance. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.