Contrive

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: con=trive

CIDE DICTIONARY

Contrive, v. t. [OE. contriven, contreven, controven, to invent, OF. controver, contruver; con- + trouver to find. See Troubadour, trover.].

 To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to invent; to design; to plan.  [1913 Webster]
"What more likely to contrive this admirable frame of the universe than infinite wisdom."  [1913 Webster]
"neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught against his life."

Syn. -- To invent; discover; plan; design; project; plot; concert; hatch.

Contrive, v. i. 

 To make devices; to form designs; to plan; to scheme; to plot.  [1913 Webster]
"The Fates with traitors do contrive."  [1913 Webster]
"Thou hast contrived against th very life
Of the defendant."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Contrive, v.tr.
1 devise; plan or make resourcefully or with skill.
2 (often foll. by to + infin.) manage (contrived to make matters worse).

Derivative

contrivable adj. contriver n.

Etymology

ME f. OF controver find, imagine f. med.L contropare compare

THESAURUS

Contrive

angle, arrange, be so, be such, beget, breed, bring, bring forth, bring into being, bring on, calculate, call forth, call into being, cast, clear, clear the hurdle, cogitate, coin, collogue, collude, come along, come on, come out, come through, conceive, concert, concoct, connive, conspire, cook up, cut out, cut the mustard, design, develop, devise, discover, draw down, draw on, dream up, effect, elaborate, elicit, engender, engineer, evoke, evolve, fabricate, fare, fashion, figure, finagle, forecast, formulate, frame, generate, gerrymander, get, get along, get by, get on, give being to, give rise to, go along, go on, hack it, handle, hatch, hatch up, improvise, induce, inspire, instigate, intend, intrigue, invent, jockey, lay plans, lead, machinate, make, make a projection, make arrangements, make do with, make it, make out, make the grade, make up, manage, manage somehow, maneuver, manipulate, manufacture, mature, methodize, mint, motivate, move, muddle through, negotiate, obtain, organize, originate, play games, plot, prearrange, procreate, procure, program, project, provoke, pull strings, put over, put through, rationalize, rig, schedule, schematize, scheme, scrape along, set up, shape, shape up, spawn, stack up, strike out, succeed in, superinduce, swing, swing the deal, systematize, think out, think up, turn out, vamp up, wangle, work out, work up, worry along

ROGET THESAURUS

Contrive

Plan

VB plan, scheme, design, frame, contrive, project, forecast, sketch, devise, invent, set one's wits to work, spring a project, fall upon, hit upon, strike out, chalk out, cut out, lay out, map out, lay down a plan, shape out a course, mark out a course, predetermine, concert, preconcert, preestablish, prepare, hatch, hatch a plot concoct, take steps, take measures, cast, recast, systematize, organize, arrange, digest, mature, plot, counter-plot, counter-mine, dig a mine, lay a train, intrigue.

Cunning

VB be cunning, have cut one's eyeteeth, contrive, live by one's wits, maneuver, intrigue, gerrymander, finesse, double, temporize, stoop to conquer, reculer pour mieux sauter, circumvent, steal a march upon, overreach, throw off one's guard, surprise, snatch a verdict, waylay, undermine, introduce the thin end of the wedge, play a deep game, play tricks with, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, flatter, make things pleasant, have an ax to grind, dodge, sidestep, bob and weave.

Production

VB produce, perform, operate, do, make, gar, form, construct, fabricate, frame, contrive, manufacture, weave, forge, coin, carve, chisel, build, raise, edify, rear, erect, put together, set up, run up, establish, constitute, compose, organize, institute, achieve, accomplish, flower, bear fruit, fructify, teem, ean, yean, farrow, drop, pup, kitten, kindle, bear, lay, whelp, bring forth, give birth to, lie in, be brought to bed of, evolve, pullulate, usher into the world, make productive, create, beget, get, generate, fecundate, impregnate, procreate, progenerate, propagate, engender, bring into being, call into being, bring into existence, breed, hatch, develop, bring up, induce, superinduce, suscitate, cause, acquire.