to devise or plan (something)
to create (something) in an inventive or resourceful manner
They contrived a stretcher from a couple of branches
to bring about or manage (something)
Perhaps he could contrive another encounter with her
to manage (to do something stupid)
He contrived to lock himself out
contrivability /-ʹbiliti/ noun
contrivable adj
contriver noun
[earlier controve from late Latin contropare to compare, from contra- + Latin tropus turn, manner, from Greek tropos]