(Entry 1 of 2)
1 a : to form in the mind by new combinations or applications of ideas or principles : invent devise a new strategy
c : to plan to obtain or bring about : plot devise one's death
Definition of devise (Entry 2 of 2)
law
2 : a will or clause of a will disposing of real property
3 : property devised by will
Verb
devisable \ -ˈvī-zə-bəl \ adjectivedeviser noun
Synonyms: Verb
concoct , construct , contrive , cook (up) , drum up , excogitate , fabricate , invent , make up , manufacture , think (up) , trump up , vamp (up)
Visit the Thesaurus for MoreVerb
There's something inventive about devise, a word that stems from Latin dividere, meaning "to divide." By the time devise appeared in English in the 1200s, its Anglo-French forebear deviser had accumulated an array of senses, including "to divide," "distribute," "arrange," "array," "digest," "order," "plan," "invent," "contrive," and "assign by will." English adopted most of these and added some new senses over the course of time: "to imagine," "guess," "pretend," and "describe." In modern use, we've disposed of a lot of the old meanings, but we kept the one that applies to wills. Devise traditionally referred to the transfer of real property (land), and bequeath to personal property; these days, however, devise is often recognized as applying generally to all the property in a person's estate.
Verb
They have devised a new method for converting sunlight into electricity. she quickly devised a new scheme when the first one failedRecent Examples on the Web: Verb
The 55-year-old executive’s remit spans everything from brokerage and individual-retirement accounts to the team that devises new investment products. — WSJ, "The Money Managers to Watch in 2019," 1 Jan. 2019 Virginia Irurita, who devises great itineraries throughout the Iberian peninsula. VIRGINIA@MADEFORSPAINANDPORTUGAL.COM. — Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, "The Best Places to Travel in 2019," 7 Dec. 2018 Hyneman enlisted Jim Newton, a former science advisor on MythBusters who went on to found the TechShop maker spaces, to devise, program, and build the network of sensors and microcontrollers that would give the tank a digital doppelgänger. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Tank That's Tougher Than Wildfire," 13 Nov. 2018 Smith then went on the devise the story with Reeves and co-producers Stephen Hamel and Gabriela Bacher. — Jillian Forstadt, The Hollywood Reporter, "Keanu Reeves Reveals What Drew Him to Genre-Bending 'Siberia'," 12 July 2018 The electoral system the Founders devised, and which their successors elaborated, gives rural voters more clout than urban ones. — The Economist, "American democracy’s built-in bias towards rural Republicans," 12 July 2018 The show traces the street's history back to Augustus Woodward, the first judge of the Michigan territory, who arrived in 1805 and devised an interlocking hexagon plan of pathways for downtown Detroit. — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit's Woodward Ave. chosen as one of 10 streets that changed America," 6 July 2018 In the spring of 2014, the city, as part of a cost-cutting plan devised under emergency management, switched its water source from Lake Huron to the notorious Flint River, once so polluted it was said to have caught fire. — Parul Sehgal, New York Times, "Toxic History, Poisoned Water: The Story of Flint," 3 July 2018 That’s what a group of Colombian students have done, devising a wool alternative made from hemp and coconut fibers treated with mushroom enzymes. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "What Will It Take To Make Vegan Wool?," 29 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Unlike with alcohol, there is nothing like a Breathalyzer devise for cannabis that police can use. — Sam Wood, Philly.com, "Medical marijuana patients, legally banned from driving, may get a pass in Pa.," 18 June 2018 A week later, undetonated explosive devises were found on another ferry. — Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY, "U.S. Embassy in Mexico City downgrades threat on traveling to Playa del Carmen," 12 Mar. 2018 My coping devise for this conundrum, at least on the breakfast front, is to concentrate my efforts on the weekend. — Yotam Ottolenghi, New York Times, "Weekend Breakfasts to Warm the Heart, and Belly," 18 Dec. 2017 To listen to a St. Vincent album is to let go of the guitar as rhythmic driver or pyrotechnic devise. — Andrew Dansby, Houston Chronicle, "Day for Night headliner St. Vincent exhibits a charming duality," 13 Dec. 2017 After the attack, Henderson grabbed the cash and fled, leaving the devise behind, records show. — Barbara Hijek, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Cowabunga! Man robbed gas station with cattle prod, cops say," 16 Oct. 2017 The plasma can interact with electrical currents in the upper atmosphere, creating large currents that could fry power grids and electrical devises on the planet’s surface and erase magnetic tape and other media. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Could a Magnetic Shield Protect Earth From Space Weather?," 3 Oct. 2017 Now, the busy pro relies on portable solutions like Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Spot Treatment, a pen-like devise that targets acne with light therapy, and simply owning herself, flaws and all. — Jennifer Tzeses, Cosmopolitan, "This Beauty Blogger's Advice Will Make You Feel So Much Better About Your Breakouts," 31 Aug. 2017 That included biking and doing aqua-jogging, which meant going back and forth in the pool with a flotation devise to maintain his cardiovascular while working his leg muscles with the water absorbing the pounding. — Steve Brand, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cathedral Catholic's top runner to start season healthy," 28 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'devise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
See MoreVerb
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French deviser, diviser, to divide, distinguish, invent, from Vulgar Latin *divisare, frequentative of Latin dividere to divide
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Last Updated
6 Jan 2019
Look-up Popularity
More Definitions for devise
de·vise | \ di-ˈvīz \(Entry 1 of 2)
: to give (property) by will specifically : to give (real property) by will — compare alienate , bequeath , convey
Other Words from devise
devisable adjective
devisor \ ˌde-və-ˈzȯr; di-ˈvī-ˌzȯr, -zər \ nounLegal Definition of devise (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a gift of property made in a will
specifically
: a gift of real property made in a will — see also abate , ademption — compare distribution
Note:
Formerly devise was used to refer only to gifts of real property, and legacy and bequest were used only to refer to gifts of personal property. These distinctions are no longer closely followed. The Uniform Probate Code uses devise to refer to any gifts made in a will.
: a devise of an interest in land that will vest in the future upon the occurrence of a contingency and that can follow a fee simple estate
Note:
Executory devises were invented as a way of getting around the rule in Shelley's case, which is now largely abolished.
: a devise that is to be distributed from the general assets of an estate and that is not of a particular thing
— residuary devise: a devise of whatever is left in an estate after all other debts and devises have been paid or distributed
— specific devise: a devise of a particular item or part of an estate that is payable only from a specified source in the estate and not from the general assets
2 : a clause in a will disposing of property and especially real property
3 : property disposed of by a will
History and Etymology for devise
Transitive verb
Anglo-French deviser to divide, share, bequeath, ultimately from Latin dividere to divide
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