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

The festival itself needs no contrived theme.

From Los Angeles Times

"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

It seemed very much like odds against both at the end of a thrilling, rollercoaster afternoon at St Mary’s, where Martin heard roars of approval as Southampton led 2-0 against Leicester City at half-time turn to full fury as they contrived to lose 3-2.

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

Related Words

• false
• phony