Device — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /di-ˈvīs/ de·vice

Meaning & Definition of Device

Device (noun)

  1. something devised or contrived
  2. a piece of equipment or a mechanism designed to serve a special purpose or perform a special function
  3. a weapon that explodes

Device (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end

    "used every device and stratagem he knew to prevent his son's marriage"

    similar: artifice, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, ruse, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, trick, wile, sleight of hand
    related: bluff, end run, feint, cheating, chicanery, cozenage, craft, crookery, cunning, deception, dupery, duplicity, fakery, jugglery, legerdemain, skulduggery, subterfuge, swindling, trickery, fraud, gaff, hoax, sham, swindle, blind, front, smoke screen

  2. an article intended for use in work

    "the salesclerk tried to sell me a new device for grooming cats"

    similar: implement, instrument, tool, utensil
    related: apparatus, appliance, mechanism, contraption, contrivance, gadget, gizmo, jigger, accessory, accoutrement, adjunct, appendage, attachment

  3. a habitual attraction to some activity or thing

    "left to her own devices she'd eat at a fast-food restaurant every night of the week"

    similar: affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn
    related: favor, one-sidedness, partisanship, prejudice, endowment, faculty, flair, gift, knack, talent, addiction, appetite, fancy, fondness, like, liking, preference, taste, forte, speciality, specialty, convention, custom, habit, pattern, practice, routine, trick, way, wont, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity
    near: allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Device

The most common words with a similar meaning to Device:

artifice, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, ruse, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, trick, wile, implement, instrument, tool, utensil, affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity

Related Words for Device

bluff, end run, feint, cheating, chicanery, cozenage, craft, crookery, cunning, deception, dupery, duplicity, fakery, jugglery, legerdemain, skulduggery, subterfuge, swindling, trickery, fraud, gaff, hoax, sham, swindle, blind, front, smoke screen, apparatus, appliance, mechanism

Near Antonyms of Device

allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disinclination, dislike, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

Word Forms of Device

Inflections: devices

Origin & Etymology of Device

Middle English devis, devise, from Anglo-French, division, plan, from deviser to divide, regulate, tell devise

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Device

Words & Phrases Containing Device

charge-coupled device, intrauterine contraceptive device, intrauterine device, point-device, ventricular assist device, flotation device, listening device

Frequently Asked Questions about Device

What does "Device" mean?

"Device" means something devised or contrived. As a noun, it is defined as: something devised or contrived. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Device"?

Other words for "Device" include artifice, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig and juggle. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Device" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Device"?

There are 118 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Device". Common alternatives include artifice, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack and play.

How do you use "Device" in a sentence?

Examples of "Device" in a sentence: "used every device and stratagem he knew to prevent his son's marriage"; "the salesclerk tried to sell me a new device for grooming cats"; "left to her own devices she'd eat at a fast-food restaurant every night of the week".

Is "Device" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Device" is a noun.

Is "Device" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Device" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Device"?

"Device" is pronounced /di-ˈvīs/ and divided into syllables as de·vice.

What is the origin of the word "Device"?

"Device" comes from Middle English devis, devise, from Anglo-French, division, plan, from deviser to divide, regulate, tell devise. First known use: 14th century.