contrived

[ kuhn-trahyvd ]

adjective

1. obviously planned or forced; artificial; strained:

   a contrived story.

contrived

/ kənˈtraɪvd /

adjective

1. obviously planned, artificial, or lacking in spontaneity; forced; unnatural

Other Words From

• con·triv·ed·ly [k, uh, n-trahy-vid-lee], adverb
• uncon·trived adjective
• well-con·trived adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contrived¹

First recorded in 1505–15; contrive + -ed ²

Example Sentences

England contrived to win the match twice over and then, with the clock deep in the red, lost it again on a fatal, final play.

From BBC

"It’s obvious this fake story was contrived by the Harris campaign to distract from the deeply concerning and newly unearthed allegations that the Second 'Gentleman,' Doug Emhoff, 'forcefully slapped' his ex-girlfriend.'"

From BBC

When I looked back on my life and my upbringing, I had a contrived association with beauty because I didn’t see myself in the media growing up.

From Los Angeles Times

Everything is contrived to keep you living in the box.

From BBC

The contrived third act notwithstanding, expect audiences in movie theaters to engage with “The Front Room” in audible gasps, one nauseating stunt at a time.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• false
• phony