contrivance vs system

contrivance

noun
  • A means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective. 

  • Something overly artful or artificial. 

  • A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task. 

system

noun
  • A method or way of organizing or planning. 

  • A set of equations involving the same variables, which are to be solved simultaneously. 

  • A set of alters, or the multiple (“the individual with multiple personalities due to, for example, a dissociative personality disorder”) who contains them. 

  • Preceded by the word the: the mainstream culture, controlled by the elites or government of a state, or a combination of them, seen as oppressive to the individual. 

  • A set of staves linked by a brace that indicate instruments or sounds that are to be played simultaneously. 

  • A collection of organized things; a whole composed of relationships among its members. 

  • A planetary system; a set of planets orbiting a star or star system 

  • A set of rules for a tabletop roleplaying game. 

  • A comprehensive and logically organized set of propositions or philosophical beliefs. 

  • A set of hardware and software operating in a computer. 

  • A set of body organs having a particular function. 

How often have the words contrivance and system occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )