'contrivance' originates from the Middle English verb 'contriven' (to devise), formed from the verb 'contrive' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ance'. The verb 'contrive' entered English in the 16th century from Old French/Anglo-Norman sources, where elements include the prefix 'con-/com-' meaning 'together' and a root related to devising or turning ideas together.

'contrivance' developed from Middle English forms of the verb 'contriven' and later adopted the suffix '-ance' to form the noun. Over time the word stabilized in Early Modern English as 'contrivance' to denote both devices and schemes.

Initially, it referred principally to the act of devising or the process of contriving (a plan), but over time it broadened and shifted to include the physical products of such devising—i.e., devices or gadgets—and also retained the sense of an artful or artificial scheme.