What does devising mean?
Devising is the act of inventing, planning, or working out something with care and ingenuity — a plan, a system, a solution, or a scheme. It functions chiefly as the present participle and gerund of the verb "devise," as in "they spent the summer devising a new curriculum," but it can also stand as a noun denoting the process itself, as in "the devising of new regulations." The word suggests deliberate mental effort and creativity rather than improvisation: what is devised has been thought through and shaped with purpose. In legal contexts, devising refers specifically to the disposal of real property by will, a specialised sense inherited from the same root. Because it emphasises resourcefulness and constructive thinking, devising is a useful word for describing problem-solving in professional, academic, and everyday contexts alike.
Present participle and gerund of "devise": inventing, planning, or working out something carefully or ingeniously.
"They are devising a new approach to reduce energy costs."
Most frequently used in progressive constructions ("is devising," "was devising") or as a gerund following prepositions ("capable of devising").
The act or process of planning or contriving something.
"The devising of the constitution took many months of debate."
The words "device" and "devise" were once the very same word in Old French — one drifted into naming things, the other into making them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of devising
Devising derives from "devise," which came into Middle English from Old French "deviser," meaning to arrange, plan, or divide, ultimately from Latin "dividere," to divide. The same Latin root gives us "divide," "division," and "individual." Intriguingly, "device" and "devise" began as the same Old French word before English split them into noun and verb forms. The legal sense of disposing of property by will developed in Middle English and survives in modern wills and estate law.
Related word forms
How devising is actually used
"Devising" carries a connotation of ingenuity and deliberate effort; it is neutral-to-formal in register and common in professional, academic, and journalistic writing. It implies thought and design rather than casual arrangement.
Easily confused with devising
"Device" is the noun meaning a gadget, tool, or scheme, while "devise" is the verb meaning to invent or plan; "devising" is the act of doing so.