devisede‧vise /dɪˈvaɪz/ ●●○ verb [transitive] 
Word Origin Examples
She devised a method for quicker communications between offices.► see thesaurus at inventCOLLOCATIONSnounsdevise a method/way· Our aim is to devise a way to improve quality and reduce costs.devise a means (=think of a way)· We must devise a means of transport that does not pollute the atmosphere.devise a system· How do you devise a system of testing students that is completely fair?devise a plan/scheme· Together they devised a clever plan to escape.devise a strategy· The region is keen to devise a strategy to develop tourism.devise a solution· Representatives met to discuss the crisis and devise solutions.devise a programme· Your trainer will devise an exercise programme for you to follow.devise an experiment/test· He devised a series of experiments to test his theory.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINdevise
Verb TableOrigin:
1200-1300 Old French deviser, from Latin divisus, past participle of dividere ‘to divide’VERB TABLE
devise
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | devise |
| he, she, it | devises | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | devised |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have devised |
| he, she, it | has devised | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had devised |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will devise |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have devised |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am devising |
| he, she, it | is devising | |
| you, we, they | are devising | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was devising |
| you, we, they | were devising | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been devising |
| he, she, it | has been devising | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been devising |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be devising |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been devising |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- A teacher devised the game as a way of making math fun.
- Scientists have devised a test that shows who is most likely to get the disease.
- The exercise programme was devised by a leading health expert.
- A residents' petition called for the venture to be shelved until a more suitable access route was devised.
- Balancing these extremes and devising a general rule is therefore difficult, both in the LFAs and elsewhere.
- His geographically-based nomenclature was however superseded by that devised only a few years later by Giovanni Riccioli, a Jesuit priest.
- How, then, do we make the economy grow and devise an equitable allocation of its fruits?
- Imaginatively, however, negative moves of this kind have to be completed by devising new pictures to replace the old ones.
- In addition, a method of entry has been devised by which legal training is obtained after entry.
- This acted as the literature focus around which seven learning tasks were devised.
THESAURUS► invent
Collocations to think of an idea for a new product, machine etc, and design it or make it: · The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.· Who invented the Internet?
► create to make or design something new and original: · We decided to create the software ourselves.· For her latest book, she has created a whole new group of characters.
► think of something/think up something to produce a new idea, plan, method, excuse etc by thinking: · I’ve thought of an idea.· They’re always trying to think up new ways to improve efficiency.
► come up with something to produce a new idea, a way of dealing with something etc, especially a good one: · How did you come up with that idea?· Ellis came up with the solution to the problem immediately.
► make something up to invent a story, song, game, excuse etc: · My mother used to make up bedtime stories for us.· I didn’t want to go to the class, so I decided to make up an excuse.
► dream something up to think of an idea or plan, especially one that seems unusual or even crazy: · It can’t be easy dreaming up new advertisements all the time.· I wonder who dreamt up that idea!
► devise formal to invent a way of doing something, especially one that is clever or complicated: · This system was devised as a way of measuring students’ progress.
► conceive formal to think of a new idea, plan etc and develop it in your mind: · The project was originally conceived by a Dutch businessman two years ago.
Longman Language Activatorto think of a new idea, design, or name for something► invent to think of an idea for a new product, machine etc for the first time, and design it and make it: · Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.· Television was invented in the 1920s.· Theremin invented the weird electronic instrument that provided soundtracks to 1950s science-fiction movies.
► create to make something new in art, literature, fashion etc: · Agatha Christie created the character Hercule Poirot.· Mary Quant created a whole new look for women's clothes in the 1960s.
► come up with/think up informal to produce a new idea, name, method etc by thinking carefully about it: think up/come up with something: · See if you can come up with a better name for it.· We need to think up some new ideas for the Christmas show.think something up: · We don't just think this stuff up. It's the way good lawyers always operate.
► devise to invent a way of doing something, especially one that is clever and complicated: · The exercise programme was devised by a leading health expert.· Scientists have devised a test that shows who is most likely to get the disease.
► make up to invent something such as a story or song, usually without writing it down: make up something: · For Halloween, the children made up stories about wolves and witches.· When my mother was in a good mood, she would make up songs about us.make something up: · That's a good riddle. Did you make it up yourself?
► conceive formal to think of a new idea, plan, or piece of work and develop it in your mind, until it is ready to be used, made etc: · "We wanted to make something new and original,'' said Colin Smith, the man who conceived the show.· The painting is beautifully conceived in every way -- composition, colour and texture.conceive of: · The young Edvard Munch conceived of a radically new approach to his art.
► dream up to think of a plan, idea, method etc, especially one that other people think is strange or unlikely to succeed: dream up something: · Banks seem to spend a lot of time dreaming up ways to get more money from their customers.· The machine looked like it had been dreamed up by a surrealist painter.dream something up: · "It's too complicated for me," Polly whispered; "how do they dream these things up?"
► coin to invent a word or phrase: · The term "black hole" was coined in 1969 by the American scientist John Wheeler.· A Polish refugee coined the term "genocide" to describe attempts to kill an entire group of people.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYnouns► devise a method/way
to plan or invent a new way of doing something: · Our aim is to devise a way to improve quality and reduce costs.
► devise a means (=think of a way)· We must devise a means of transport that does not pollute the atmosphere.
► devise a system· How do you devise a system of testing students that is completely fair?
► devise a plan/scheme· Together they devised a clever plan to escape.
► devise a strategy· The region is keen to devise a strategy to develop tourism.
► devise a solution· Representatives met to discuss the crisis and devise solutions.
► devise a programme· Your trainer will devise an exercise programme for you to follow.
► devise an experiment/test· He devised a series of experiments to test his theory.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► devise a method (=invent a method)· Scientists have devised a method of recycling contaminated oil.
► devise/formulate/draw up a plan (=make a detailed plan, especially after considering something carefully)· He devised a daring plan to steal two million dollars.· The company has already drawn up plans to develop the site.
► devise/work out a strategy (also formulate a strategy formal)· We had to devise strategies for saving money.
► devise/develop a technique· Researchers hope to develop more accurate testing techniques.
► think of/devise a way· I have to think of a way to make some money.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► approach· It would no doubt be possible to devise a more scientific approach than this.
► experiment· He devised an experiment to ascertain whether salivation could occur in the absence of any obvious physical cause.· It then devises a set of experiments that will test each of the conjectures.
► form· The peg and string method of devising near biomorphic forms has been used by Naum Gabo and Armin Hofmann.· In Haryana, women have devised a novel form of protest.
► formula· He devised a formula whereby the amount an employer can save, for every employee recruited, each year can be calculated.
► means· All creatures that live in the plankton have to devise means of staying afloat.· My problem in Dalmellington was not so much getting a drink, but in actually devising a means of drinking it.· Our architect, the appropriately named Donald Buttress, devised an ingenious means of resolving the problem.
► method· To guard against this mishap he devised several different methods of deceleration.· Jim McWhir, working with Ray Ansell, devised an extremely efficient method for doing this.· Now he had to devise a method by which workmen and supplies could shuttle back and forth across the gorge.· Perhaps the best approach is to devise methods by which patients conclude for themselves that smoking is harmful and undesirable.· So Galileo set out to devise a method of considerable precision.· It is almost impossible to devise a method of ensuring that all the firms involved obtain an equal share of the cake.
► plan· Continuing this outburst she devises the plan for Duncan's murder.· She says the museum in good faith tried to devise plans to reassemble the stones.· Gore then devised a plan to burn down the house, destroying any forensic evidence he might have left behind.· In the early 1940s, the Bureau devised the plan of considering an entire river basin as an integrated project.· Governments, industrialists, colonialists, charities and individuals have all devised ambitious plans to develop it.· The state devises a detailed economic plan that specifies what levels of each good will be produced from what combination of resources.· Help student devise a verbal plan. 6.· They needed staff to devise marketing and media plans.
► policy· Thus, many community mental handicap teams have devised absurdly ambitious operational policies which attempt to do all things for all persons.· They must take this into account when devising their own waste-management policies.· The uncontrolled increase in the number of authors might be remediable to some extent by journals devising a collective policy.
► problem· The problem is to devise tests that will demonstrate this.· It is often amazing how the most insignificant contributor to a project can foresee the subtlest problem and devise a solution.· Perhaps the major problem in devising a special classification scheme is the definition of the subject area to be covered.· The problem is to devise a system that enhances financial accountability.
► procedure· The next step was to devise a budget allocation procedure that reflected the health needs of different areas.· We need therefore to devise a screening procedure which singles out the problematic investigations.· Experience in using the contract and familiarity with its provisions allowed surveyors and contractors alike to devise operating procedures which worked well.· It is true also that the most recent judicial statements afford considerable latitude to the public authority in devising its own procedures.· Will many schools decide to devise their own procedures for dealing with these?
► program· Many states are devising programs with even tougher restrictions.· Sutherland had achieved canonical status in the field by devising a computer program called Sketchpad.· Noyes eventually devised a two-part program.· It speeds up the processing, says Dave Costlow, who devised the courier program.
► programme· At Level One students are given a high degree of support and supervision when devising and implementing a programme of activities.· The results are used to devise an exercise programme which the individual is encouraged to follow.· It is not beyond the wit of man to devise a scholarship programme based mostly on need.
► scheme· U.N. accountants agreed to devise a creative payment scheme to stagger their bills.· Singh said that Pepper conspired with Young to devise the scheme to pass phony checks.· You must take time to devise a scheme that suits your own needs.· Aladdin followed them and, with his wife, devised a scheme to kill the sorcerer.· Perhaps the major problem in devising a special classification scheme is the definition of the subject area to be covered.· The irate king returned, and devised another scheme to doom the lucky boy.· He said Labour plans to devise a comprehensive scheme of transport improvements to suit Britain's needs.· Most will arrange a payment holiday, reduced payments for a specified period or devise a special scheme for you.
► series· They've devised a series of guidelines that will enable the beauty spot to stay both commercially viable and beautiful.· Sticks and Stones, itself a collaborative project, has no script, and was devised in a series of theatre workshops.
► strategy· But many businesses are devising new strategies as the next millennium closes in.· Researching and devising a strategy to build a smaller, smarter civil service is much, much harder work.· Uppermost among them will be how they begin to devise a strategy to defeat a man who is both boxer and puncher.· Rather than worrying about causing a problem, your focus should be on devising a strategy to correct one.· Chelsea chairman Ken Bates has thus devised a two-pronged strategy to beat Cabra.· After considerable grumbling and frustration, Roosevelt devised a different strategy for influencing the court.
► structure· But when he and Slater came to devise the dramatic structure of the libretto, something different resulted.· Difficulty of devising a structure that will stand firm yet will not be over-heavy, he wrote.
► system· Hanna devised a system called limited animation and a couple of characters quite the opposite to a cat and mouse.· The company also devised a system of storage bags and labels to secure even the smallest items.· Lyn Wendon has devised a Pictogram system which she calls Letterland.· The House of Lords stated that the employer had to devise a safe system and operate it.· The problem is to devise a system that enhances financial accountability.· The early 1960s were a hopeful time, and it was then that California devised its system of higher education.· Apparently he had been devising procedural systems for years, but nobody used them and everybody laughed at him.· Any manager who fails to devise adequate systems for job control is at best not in control and at worst out of control.
► technique· Smith devised a technique using eight pieces of latex rather than one overall mask, including convincing eyelids.
► test· The problem is to devise tests that will demonstrate this.· You will find it most interesting to devise other test sets for experimental and instructional purposes.· Furthermore, there were no psychologists around to devise tests of mental faculties.· This became even more apparent to us when we tried to devise an intelligence test for horses.· Clearly, games can be devised that are tests of far more subtle strategies and complex manoeuvres.
► training· In addition, a method of entry has been devised by which legal training is obtained after entry.· There may then be a break of a few days while participants work to devise a training session.· Would it be more useful to devise training regimes in which such attitudes could be systematically confronted?· Because of this, we devised a modular training package, sufficiently adaptable to cater for the vast majority of individual circumstances.· It may be possible to devise some kind of training programme for certain difficulties to achieve this effect.
► way· As chairman you are responsible for calling the meeting, holding it together, and devising an effective way of working.· Other corporations have devised ingenious ways to test and season their executives, according to McCall et al.· The classroom teacher may devise new ways of teaching which make life easier contribute as much as possible to their culture.· Only after we understood the connection between smoking and disease could we begin devising ways to induce people to quit.· It took many years for linguists and sociolinguists to devise ways of getting the best of both worlds.· Even the strongest proponents of managed care acknowledge that they have not yet devised ways to measure their success at maintaining health.· Alexander Bain, the inventor, devised a way of skimming raised metallic letters with a stylus attached to a pendulum.· Finally it is a good idea to devise a way of checking what use is made of a self-access video service.
► ways· That approach can be devised in numerous ways to produce different results.· And investors more cunning and sophisticated than the Intuit traders have devised myriad ways to dodge detection.· The classroom teacher may devise new ways of teaching which make life easier contribute as much as possible to their culture.· Other corporations have devised ingenious ways to test and season their executives, according to McCall et al.· It took many years for linguists and sociolinguists to devise ways of getting the best of both worlds.· Ingenious corporations may devise more skillful ways to give employment to nonreaders.· Thus, political scientists have devised different ways of counting the number of political parties.· Only after we understood the connection between smoking and disease could we begin devising ways to induce people to quit.
VERB► try· This became even more apparent to us when we tried to devise an intelligence test for horses.· She says the museum in good faith tried to devise plans to reassemble the stones.· Last ten days trying to devise way to stabilize frame, he wrote.· It is against these projections and insinuations that Luzhin tries to devise a defence, the failure of which has tragic consequences.
She devised a method for quicker communications between offices.► see thesaurus at inventCOLLOCATIONSnounsdevise a method/way· Our aim is to devise a way to improve quality and reduce costs.devise a means (=think of a way)· We must devise a means of transport that does not pollute the atmosphere.devise a system· How do you devise a system of testing students that is completely fair?devise a plan/scheme· Together they devised a clever plan to escape.devise a strategy· The region is keen to devise a strategy to develop tourism.devise a solution· Representatives met to discuss the crisis and devise solutions.devise a programme· Your trainer will devise an exercise programme for you to follow.devise an experiment/test· He devised a series of experiments to test his theory.