What is the Latin word for contrive?

The usual Latin words for “contrive” are inveniō, reperiō, excōgitō; also comminīscor, māchinor, mōlior. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“contrive” in Latin

inveniōto find; to discover, find out, learn; to come upon, meet with reperiōto find, find out, learn, realise, ascertain, discover, invent excōgitōto contrive, devise or invent (by thinking); to think up or create out of nothing comminīscorto devise, contrive, invent māchinorto devise, invent; to plot evil, contrive mōliorto strive, endeavor, work at; to put in motion, shake, move; to rouse, bestir efficiōto make out or work out; effect, execute, complete, accomplish, make, form, compose; to cause to occur, to bring about, īnsidiaeambush; artifice, plot, snare faciōto do (particularly as a specific instance or occasion of doing); to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect; to m

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

contrive

invenire: reperire (invent; SYN. in FIND): excogitare (think out; contrive as the result of thought): comminisci (devise, contrive, mostly in a bad sense; not used of material objects): machinari (to contrive artificial means; if against a person. in a bad sense; but also used of the contrivances of nature): moliri (something requiring great exertion, extensive combinations, etc., mostly in a bad sense, aliquid mali, insidias or periculum alicui): facere or efficere (to contrive to do anything; with ut, which, in short sentences with facere, is often omitted). Contrive to let me know, facito, ut sciam (Cic.): contrive to be at home, domi assitis facite: he contrived to get a surplus revenue, effecit, ut ex vectigalibus superesset pecunia, quae in aerario reponeretur (Nep.). I contrived to get the first place in the affections of them both, effeci, ut neutri illorum quisquam esset me carior (Cic.): to contrive a plan for anybody’s destruction, ad perniciem alicujus aliquid cogitare (Nep., Dat., 6, 8): to contrive crafty devices, dolos nectere (Liv.), procudere (Plaut.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for contrive?: The usual Latin words for “contrive” are inveniō, reperiō, excōgitō; also comminīscor, māchinor, mōlior. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.