Meaning of 'decide to contrive'

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi,
Here is the definition of the word ‘contrive’ I found in the OALD:

However, I can’t get it very well. According to the definition, how can anyone ‘decide to contrive’ sth? (‘I decided to succeed in making a meeting between the two of them’?) How can the speaker decide to succeed?

Many thanks,
Nessie.

2

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It can mean both ‘attempt’ and ‘succeed in the attempt’:

  1. to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent: The author contrived a clever plot.
  2. to bring about or effect by a plan, scheme, or the like; manage: He contrived to gain their votes.
3

Hi MM,
I understand that the word can have both meanings. Please have a look at this excerpt:

=> In the original sentence I posted, ‘contrive’ has the meaning of ‘succeed in managing’, not ‘managing’…

Many thanks,
Nessie.

4

=> In the original sentence I posted, ‘contrive’ has the meaning of ‘succeed in managing’, not ‘managing’…

To me, contrive means “using clever planning, to arrange” in your sentence.

I decided to contrive a meeting.
I decided, using clever planning, to arrange a meeting.
[color=red]?*I decided, using clever planning, to contrive a meeting.

5

Rather than “succeed in managing”, I would plump for Mister M’s “attempt” + second definition; thus:

  1. I decided to [bring about] a meeting [by a plan, scheme, or the like].

The decision is to make the attempt to do so. As you rightly imply, the example in the dictionary isn’t very good, as it requires a further explanation. It would have been simpler to replace “I decided to contrive” with “I contrived”.

Best wishes,

MrP