contrivance
2
8.7
- noun
- /kənˈtraɪvəns/
- Literature
- Edge of Heaven mostly avoids the contrivance that often encumbers films with interlocking narratives.
- a plot contrivance
- so artificial a contrivance
Examples
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None of this adds up; the painfully obvious contrivance of the entire matter speaks for itself.
Blog text (18) -
That's not the movies we knew and loved; that's a plot contrivance on an episode of 24.
Blog text (7) -
The writer's use of improbable events felt like a contrivance rather than a natural progression of the story.
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He criticized the ending of the movie as a mere contrivance that undermined the character development.
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In her review, she mentioned that the plot twist seemed like a contrivance forced to elicit a surprise.
Synonyms
12
5.6
An action that makes something look better than it really is to hide problems
4
6.3
An invented story or plan made to trick people
Antonyms
How Artificial
- Literature
2
8.7
- Formal
10
8.1
72
5.6
∞
2.1
14
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Contrivance comes from the verb contrive, which means 'to plan' or 'to arrange'. That is why a contrivance can mean an artificial or forced arrangement of details that feels made on purpose rather than natural.