Definition of "contrivance" []

• The act of contriving. (noun)
• The state of being contrived. (noun)
• Something contrived, as a mechanical device or a clever plan. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "When the level of narrative contrivance is such that anything can happen or be forgotten in the space of a week, then nothing matters."
• "The contrivance is seen to hold a function, and it is recognized by its inherent design."
• "A contrivance is some abstract contortion that is said to describe reality, except that the contrivance comes with a felt emotionality that may invite deeper revelation, or the emotionality may come off as deceptive."