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View synonyms for

devise

[ dih-vahyz ]

verb (used with object)

devised, devising.
  1. to contrive, plan, or elaborate; invent from existing principles or ideas:

    to devise a method.

  2. Theater. to develop (a play) collaboratively with the performers:

    Based on the lives of women in engineering, the students devised the play themselves.

  3. Law. to assign or transmit (property) by will.
  4. Archaic. to imagine; suppose.


verb (used without object)

devised, devising.
  1. to form a plan; contrive.

noun

  1. Law.
    1. the act of disposing of property, especially real property, by will.
    2. a will or clause in a will disposing of property, especially real property.
    3. the property so disposed of.

devise

/ ɪˈɪ /

verb

  1. to work out, contrive, or plan (something) in one's mind
  2. tr law to dispose of (property, esp real property) by will
  3. obsolete.
    tr to imagine or guess
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

    1. a disposition of property by will
    2. the property so transmitted Compare bequeath
  1. a will or clause in a will disposing of real property Compare bequest
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ·· noun
  • ·· verb (used with object) predevised predevising
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Word History and Origins

Origin of devise1

First recorded in 1150–1200; (verb) Middle English devisen “to inspect, design, compose,” from Old French deviser, from unattested Vulgar Latin ŧī, for unattested īī, frequentative of Latin ī “to divide” ( divide ); (noun) device
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Word History and Origins

Origin of devise1

C15: from Old French deviser to divide, apportion, intend, from Latin ī to divide
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Synonym Study

See prepare.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Throughout the series, the women battled it out in boxing matches, basketball contests and even a bizarre contest where they had to devise a TV advert for a mattress, à la The Apprentice.

From

I’m partial to the former, in part because it features the only overtly political character Wodehouse ever devised.

From

He devised a programme specific to the show under his coach Roddy Mackay, a former contestant in the original TV series.

From

The school has devised evacuation plans, designating emergency meeting points in the basement and routes for pupils and staff to follow in case of any danger.

From

In rescuing her from the operating table, he kills pretty much everyone in the place, including the doctor who claims to have devised said cure.

From

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