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contrivance

noun [C or U]
 
 
/kənˈtraɪ.vəns/ formal

Definition

the act of contriving something: disapproving Because of the timing, I'm sure the salary freeze is a deliberate contrivance, not a coincidence. I think the meeting happened more by contrivance than chance.Planning, expecting and arrangingPlotting and trapping
(Definition of contrivance noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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