contrived

1 of 2

adjective

con·​trived kən-ˈtrīvd 

: having an unnatural or false appearance or quality : artificial, labored entry 1

a contrived plot

contrived

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of contrive

Synonyms of contrived

Adjective

• strained
• mock
• unnatural
• false
• exaggerated
• fake
• simulated
• artificial
• mechanical
• affected
• forced
• pseudo

Examples of contrived in a Sentence

Adjective

… it may remind readers of Christopher Nolan's ingeniously contrived mystery film "Memento" … —Joyce Carol Oates, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2005

The music industry has become far more image conscious and contrived since her first album affected me so profoundly … —Lisa Marie Presley, Time, 18 Apr. 2005

There are some who scorn that sterling art form, the afternoon soap opera, alleging that its characters are unbelievable, its plots contrived and its action negligible. —Lydel Sims, Assignment: Memphis, 1982

The movie's contrived ending was a big disappointment.

The results of the test seemed somewhat contrived.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

His lens democratizes power the contrived space of the studio set, with the goal of empowering real-life servants. — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

These sequences are no less contrived than the rest of this malformed blockbuster, but their growing emphasis on performativeness helps to paint a target that Iñárritu actually knows how to hit. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026

The contrived bogeyman for election fraud scaremongers is the undocumented immigrant community. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of contrive

First Known Use

Adjective

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contrived

• archived
• arrived
• connived
• deprived
• derived
• revived
• survived
• dived
• lived
• rived
• strived
• thrived