devised

Devised is the past tense and past participle of the verb devise. In general use, to devise means to conceive, plan, or invent something through careful thought. A devised plan, method, or system has been thought out and created for a particular purpose. The word often appears in contexts of strategy, engineering, fiction, and policy.

Origin and etymology: The term traces to Old French deviser, meaning to imagine or contrive, and entered English in the Middle English period. The sense of deliberate creation remains central to its usage.

Legal sense: In the law of property, devise means to transfer real property by will. In this context, devised describes property that was transferred by will, as in “the estate was devised to the heir.” This legal usage is distinct from the everyday sense of planning, though the same root is involved.

Usage notes: Devised commonly collocates with plans, schemes, methods, devices, and systems. It implies purposeful invention rather than casual improvisation. It should not be confused with “designed,” though the two meanings can overlap when a plan is both devised and designed. Related terms include deviser or devisor (one who devises) and devisee (the beneficiary of a devise). Examples: “The committee devised a cost-saving strategy.” “The team devised a new algorithm.” “The estate was devised to her grandson.”