What does contrived mean?
Contrived is an adjective used to describe things that have been deliberately constructed rather than arising naturally, with the strong implication that the result is artificial, forced, or unconvincing. It is most often applied to creative work: a contrived plot relies on improbable coincidences or convenient resolutions, while contrived dialogue sounds written rather than spoken. The word can also describe a person's manner or an explanation that seems rehearsed rather than sincere. Because it carries an unmistakably negative connotation, calling something contrived is nearly always a criticism, suggesting the maker has strained for effect and failed to achieve believability. Derived from the verb 'contrive', which historically meant to devise or invent with skill, the adjective preserves that sense of deliberate design while adding a modern judgment that the design shows. For writers and critics, it is one of the most frequently invoked terms for diagnosing a failure of authenticity, making it essential vocabulary in literary and artistic discussion.
Deliberately planned or arranged rather than spontaneous or natural; seeming artificial, forced, or implausible.
"The reconciliation scene was so contrived that audiences groaned audibly."
Carries an almost exclusively negative connotation.
Past tense and past participle of contrive: to have devised, planned, or managed to bring something about, often through ingenuity.
"They contrived to escape the besieged city under cover of darkness."
In this verbal use, contrived can be neutral or even positive, implying resourcefulness rather than artificiality.
'Contrived' comes from a French phrase meaning 'to find against' — literally to devise something by working against the odds.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contrived
Contrived derives from the verb contrive, which entered English in Middle English from Old French 'controver' (from Late Latin 'contropare'), originally meaning to devise or invent. Over time, contrive shifted toward meaning to plan or scheme, sometimes with connotations of ingenuity or cunning. The adjective contrived emerged later, retaining the sense of deliberate construction while acquiring its now-dominant negative coloring of artificiality. It shares distant roots with other words of Latin origin relating to devising and turning, though its closest relatives are its own derivatives such as contrivance.
Related word forms
How contrived is actually used
Almost always pejorative — it implies criticism of something as unconvincing or over-engineered. Common in reviews of fiction, film, and television, and often applied to plots, dialogue, endings, and excuses. Slightly formal register but widely understood.
Easily confused with contrived
Contrite means feeling remorseful for wrongdoing, whereas contrived means artificially devised or forced.