device

noun

de·vice di-ˈvīs

Synonyms of device next

: something devised or contrived: such as

a(1)

: plan, procedure, technique

a marketing device

mnemonic devices

(2)

: a scheme to deceive : stratagem, trick

: something fanciful, elaborate, or intricate in design

: something (such as a figure of speech) in a literary work designed to achieve a particular artistic effect

irony and other literary devices

a plot device

archaic : masque, spectacle

: a conventional stage practice or means (such as a stage whisper) used to achieve a particular dramatic effect

: a piece of equipment or a mechanism designed to serve a special purpose or perform a special function

smartphones and other electronic devices

a hidden recording device

: desire, inclination

left to my own devices

heraldry : an emblematic design used especially as a heraldic bearing (see bearing sense 4)

Example Sentences

The store sells TVs, VCRs, and other electronic devices. agreeing to dismantle all nuclear devices a useful mnemonic device for remembering the names of the planets The company's method of tracking expenses is just a device to make it seem more profitable.

Recent Examples on the Web Heading into Saturday, one of the biggest concerns had been whether 5G signals would interfere with aircraft equipment, especially devices, called radio altimeters, that use radio waves to measure distance above the ground that are critical when planes land in low visibility. —

CBS News, 2 July 2023 Watch on desktop and on the Apple TV app, as well as Android and iOS apps on mobile devices. —

Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 30 June 2023 Pritchard borrows his cell to fake-call his wife and uses the NSA device to download the tap onto Ressler's phone. —

Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 30 June 2023 He was found with weapons and materials to create an explosive device, though one had not been built, one of the officials said. —

Colleen Long, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2023 In December, the company was granted a patent involving transceivers that could be fitted on a device for the purposes of powering voice and internet services. —

Michael Kan, PCMAG, 30 June 2023 For proponents of unevidenced positions, debate is a device for converting nonsense into audience. —

David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 29 June 2023 Rollins recommends another device to help prevent these incidents from happening: a teddy bear. —

Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 29 June 2023 Actor Julian Sands Missing After Going Hiking on Deadly Mount Baldy in California While the sheriff's department added in an advisory notice that same day that helicopters and drones continued to use infrared devices to search for Sands, there had been no sign of the actor thus far. —

Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 25 June 2023 See More

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