Devise
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 The act of leaving real property in a will.
- 2 (law) a gift of real property by will wordnet
- 3 Such a will, or a clause in such a will.
"Fines upon devises were still exacted."
- 4 a will disposing of real property wordnet
- 5 The real property left in such a will.
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- 6 Design, devising.
"I don't know how I got to be so sour on life, but I'm constantly in solitary confinement of my own devise, […]"
- 1 To use one’s intellect to plan or design (something). transitive
"Near-synonyms: lay, set, design, plan, create"
- 2 come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort wordnet
- 3 To leave (property) in a will. transitive
- 4 arrange by systematic planning and united effort wordnet
- 5 To form a scheme; to lay a plan; to contrive; to consider. archaic, intransitive
"I thought, devised, and Pallas heard my prayer."
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- 6 give by will, especially real property wordnet
- 7 To plan or scheme for; to plot to obtain. archaic, transitive
"For wisedome is most riches; fooles therefore / They are, which fortunes doe by vowes deuize,"
- 8 To imagine; to guess. obsolete
"I do protest I neuer iniur’d thee, But lou’d thee better then thou can’st deuise: Till thou shalt know the reason of my loue."
Example
More examples"We must devise some means of escape."
Etymology
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English devisen, devysen, from Old French deviser, from Vulgar Latin devisō, from Latin dīvisō, frequentative of dīvidō.
From Middle French devise. Doublet of device.
Related phrases
More for "devise"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.