kun-TRYVD

Definition

(adjective) Obviously planned or forced rather than arising naturally; lacking authenticity or spontaneity.

Example

The film’s ending felt contrived — a sudden reconciliation between characters who had spent two hours proving they could never forgive each other.

Word Origin

Contrived comes from the verb contrive, rooted in the Old French controver, meaning “to imagine” or “to find out,” itself from the Latin contropare — “to compare” or “to devise.” It entered English in the 14th century originally meaning simply to plan or devise something cleverly. Over time the word acquired its current negative undertone, shifting from neutral ingenuity toward the suggestion of something manipulated or artificially engineered to produce a desired effect.