The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Contrive \Con*trive"\ (k[o^]n*tr[imac]v"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
   Contrived; p. pr. & vb. n. Contriving.] [OE. contriven,
   contreven, controven, to invent, OF. controver, contruver;
   con- + trouver to find. See Troubadour, trover.]
   To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to invent; to
   design; to plan.
   [1913 Webster]

         What more likely to contrive this admirable frame of
         the universe than infinite wisdom.       --Tillotson.
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         neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught
         against his life.                        --Hawthorne.

   Syn: To invent; discover; plan; design; project; plot;
        concert; hatch.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Contrive \Con*trive"\, v. i.
   To make devices; to form designs; to plan; to scheme; to
   plot.
   [1913 Webster]

         The Fates with traitors do contrive.     --Shak.
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         Thou hast contrived against th very life
         Of the defendant.                        --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

contrive
    v 1: make or work out a plan for; devise; "They contrived to
         murder their boss"; "design a new sales strategy"; "plan an
         attack" [syn: plan, project, contrive, design]
    2: come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or
       principle) after a mental effort; "excogitate a way to
       measure the speed of light" [syn: invent, contrive,
       devise, excogitate, formulate, forge]
    3: put or send forth; "She threw the flashlight beam into the
       corner"; "The setting sun threw long shadows"; "cast a
       spell"; "cast a warm light" [syn: project, cast,
       contrive, throw]