machination

American  

[mak-uh-ney-shuhn] / ˌmæk əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of machinating.

2. Usually machinations. crafty schemes; plots; intrigues.

   Synonyms:

   device, stratagem

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machination British  

/ ˌmæʃ-, ˌmækɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. an intrigue, plot, or scheme

2. the act of devising plots or schemes

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Other Word Forms

• antimachination adjective

Etymology

Origin of machination

1375–1425; late Middle English machinacion < Latin māchinātiōn- (stem of māchinātiō ). See machinate, -ion

Example Sentences

You can feel how desperate Cathy and Heathcliff are for each other in their own twisted way, and despite their horrible machinations you want them to be together.

From Los Angeles Times

The pair sued the city in 2024, accusing the city of “backdoor machinations” in preserving a house that doesn’t deserve to be a historic cultural monument.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, for Labour, after all the questions for them over the weekend about the machinations involving the prime minister and Andy Burnham, a chance to reflect on rows on the Right of politics.

From BBC

I found myself transfixed by the description of Wall Street machinations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Auto-parts retailers provide some of the clearest examples of how such machinations burnish companies’ numbers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conspiracy
• intrigue
• ploy
• ruse
• stratagem