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

/ dɪˈvaɪz /

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

noun

1. 1. a disposition of property by will

   2. the property so transmitted Compare bequeath

2. a will or clause in a will disposing of real property Compare bequest

Other Word Forms

• deviser noun
• predevise verb (used with object)

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 dēvīsāre, for unattested dīvīsāre, frequentative of Latin dīvidere “to divide” ( divide ); (noun) device

Word History and Origins

Origin of devise¹

C15: from Old French deviser to divide, apportion, intend, from Latin dīvidere to _divide

Synonym Study

See prepare.

Example Sentences

The Big Ten and other conferences leave it up to individual schools to devise their own formulas.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead of “fighting fire with fire,” and declaring wars that they can’t actually wage for another three years — in the 2028 presidential campaign, that is — they’d be wise to devise such a plan.

From Salon

The scholar who devised the climate control plan for the house did the same thing for King Tut’s tomb.

From Los Angeles Times

Watching her execute another step in the scavenger hunt she’s devised for him is like seeing “The Rules” reimagined by Rube Goldberg.

From Salon

The new maps would supersede the ones devised just four years ago by an independent redistricting commission established to keep politics out of the process, which typically occurs once a decade after the latest census.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arrange 
• come up with 
• concoct 
• construct 
• craft 
• create 
• design 
• discover 
• forge 
• formulate 
• hatch 
• invent 
• mastermind 
• prepare 
• work out