Dictionary Entry
contrived
Part of SpeechverbPronunciation/kənˈtɹaɪvd/Word FrequencyCommon (4.56)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (1)To invent by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise
In a Sentence
“His excuse for being late sounded contrived and unbelievable.”
Published Usage Examples
“ANDERSON: Former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright both have written letters to Robert Iger, the head of Disney, ABC's parent company, to complain about what they call contrived scenes which bear no relationship to actual events, and scenes that are false and defama”
“The U.S. government is to stop using the term "illegal enemy combatants," a label contrived by the Bush administration to justify detaining people indefinitely without ever bringing them before a court or even granting them prisoner-of-war status.”
This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 10 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.
Origin
From Latin 'contrivere', meaning 'to crush together'.
Common Phrases
Antonyms
Poetry examples for “contrived”
Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.
Poetry examples are still being gathered for this entry. They will appear here once matching poems are available in the library.