devise

1 of 2

verb

de·​vise di-ˈvīz How to pronounce devise (audio)
devised; devising

transitive verb

1
a
: to form in the mind by new combinations or applications of ideas or principles : invent
devise a new strategy
b
archaic : conceive, imagine
c
: to plan to obtain or bring about : plot
devise one's death
2
law : to give (real estate) by will (see will entry 2 sense 1) compare bequeath
devisable adjective
deviser noun

devise

2 of 2

noun

1
law : the act of giving or disposing of real (see real entry 1 sense 2) property by will (see will entry 2 sense 1)
2
law : a will or clause of a will disposing of real property
3
law : property devised by will

Did you know?

There's something inventive about devise, a word that stems from Latin dividere, meaning "to divide." By the time devise began being used in early Middle English, its Anglo-French forebear deviser had accumulated an array of senses, including "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, such as "imagine," "guess," "pretend," and "describe." In modern use, we've disposed of a lot of the old meanings, but we have kept the one that applies to wills; devise has traditionally referred to the transfer of real property (land), and bequeath to personal property. These days, this devise is most often recognized as applying generally to all the property in a person's estate.

Examples of devise in a Sentence

Verb They have devised a new method for converting sunlight into electricity. she quickly devised a new scheme when the first one failed
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Dedmon devised the coverup scheme to cover up the involved officers' misconduct. USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 From this central preoccupation, Hondo devises a distinctive and singular aesthetic, sharply personal yet historically informed. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024 The separation is part of an ambitious cost-cutting program devised by Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher, who took the top job in January 2023 and revealed the plan last October. William Gavin, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Jenkins lay bleeding on the floor as the officers convened on the back porch to devise a cover story, the federal charging document said. Emma Tucker, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 Karaoke had many inventors, of course—at least five people independently devised karaoke machines between 1967 and 1971. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 Next came a coding challenge devised by the company’s four software engineers, followed by a phone interview with one of the engineers to further evaluate each applicant’s technical prowess. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024 Within this context, influential women in Hollywood are devising new strategies to disrupt traditional power dynamics behind and in front of the camera. Ellie Austin, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Trojans show mojo beyond JuJu Because of Watkins dropping a season-high 51 points on Stanford in the teams’ only regular-season meeting — a 67-58 USC win on Feb. 2 — the Cardinal devised an anyone-but-JuJu game plan for the rematch. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
The two-spigot devise expands and folds out of the way above the stove’s surface. Dana Oland, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Because these sophisticated devises require more training and retraining over time, their existence will also offer different tech opportunities in answering training needs. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023 The second way is for that child to acknowledge, in writing, that the $50,000 lifetime gift was in satisfaction of the devise in your will. Dallas News, 27 Feb. 2022 These are assets that can be given now or left as a specific devise in a will or trust. Dallas News, 4 Dec. 2022 Historically, personality tests have been used as a tool to help some businesses make hiring decisions and devise activities. Jennifer Walter, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2020 In a statement Friday, the IS-K said the explosive devise that devastated Mazar-e-Sharif's Sai Doken mosque was hidden in a bag left inside among scores of worshippers. Kathy Gannon and Mohammad Shaob Amin, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2022 When the pandemic required the district to implement remote learning in March of last year, the district was forced to assure all students were issued an electronic devise. Steve Sadin, chicagotribune.com, 22 Dec. 2021 This is often a preferable arrangement if the couple's intent is for the surviving partner to have complete ownership of the home since this transfer is automatic by operation of law and not dependent upon a devise under a will. Matthew Erskine, Forbes, 8 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French deviser, diviser, to divide, distinguish, invent, from Vulgar Latin *divisare, frequentative of Latin dividere to divide

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devise was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near devise

Cite this Entry

“Devise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devise. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

devise

verb
de·​vise
di-ˈvīz
devised; devising
1
: to form in the mind by new combinations or applications of ideas or principles : invent
devise a solution to the problem
2
: to give (real estate) by will
devised the property to his daughter
deviser noun

Legal Definition

devise

1 of 2 transitive verb
de·​vise di-ˈvīz How to pronounce devise (audio)
devised; devising
: to give (property) by will
specifically : to give (real property) by will compare alienate, bequeath, convey
devisable adjective

devise

2 of 2 noun
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.

executory devise
: 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.

general devise
: 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
Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French deviser to divide, share, bequeath, ultimately from Latin dividere to divide

More from Merriam-Webster on devise

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