chart

¹ American  

[chahrt] / tʃɑrt /

noun

1. a sheet exhibiting information in tabular form.

2. a graphic representation, as by curves, of a dependent variable, as temperature, price, etc.; graph.

3. a map, especially a hydrographic or marine map.

4. an outline map showing special conditions or facts.

   a weather chart.

5. Astrology. horoscope.

6. Jazz. a musical arrangement.

7. the charts, ratings of the popularity of popular-music records, usually based on nationwide sales for a given week.

   Their album is number three on the charts this week.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make a chart of.

2. to plan.

   to chart a course of action.

   Synonyms:

   outline, draft

3. Informal. to rank in the charts.

   The new song gets charted number four this week.

idioms

1. off the charts, greatly exceeding the general level or average: Also off the chart

   Demand for the new phone is off the charts.

chart. ² American  

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) a paper.

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chart British  

/ tʃɑːt /

noun

1. a map designed to aid navigation by sea or air

2. an outline map, esp one on which weather information is plotted

3. a sheet giving graphical, tabular, or diagrammatical information

4. another name for graph

5. astrology another word for horoscope

6. informal the lists produced weekly from various sources of the bestselling pop singles and albums or the most popular videos

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verb

1. (tr) to make a chart of

2. (tr) to make a detailed plan of

3. (tr) to plot or outline the course of

4. (intr) (of a record or video) to appear in the charts (sense 6)

Related Words

See map.

Other Word Forms

• chartable adjective
• prechart verb (used with object)
• precharted adjective
• rechart verb (used with object)
• well-charted adjective

Etymology

Origin of chart¹

1565–75; from Middle French charte, from Latin c(h)arta; charta

Origin of chart.²

From the Latin word charta

Explanation

Whether it's a kind of graph, a map, or even a piece of music, a chart is a visual display of information. As a verb, chart means to make that kind of display. Some words' meanings grow narrower over the centuries. But in the case of chart, which comes from the French charte and Latin charta, "map," the meanings have grown a lot since the 1500s. Now, chart is a noun meaning any visual index of information, as in "that song is shooting up the charts." It's also still a map, as in "harbor chart." And it's a verb, as in "to chart your progress, make a chart."

Example Sentences

The four-hour chart shows the dollar consolidating within a potential flag pattern against the yen, signaling potential downside break toward monthly pivot point at Y158.38, Simpson says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Looking at the stock’s daily chart shows that it has been weak against software peers on the ratio chart digesting a fourth quarter downtrend since the start of 2026.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Below is a bitcoin daily cloud chart with the crypto’s 50- and 200-day moving averages.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

The group became one of the world's foremost traditional Irish acts, finding chart success with the theme music of the 1982 TV series Harry's Game, set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Mr. Patterson read a chart of Casco Bay, and Sookie steered us closer to a scatter of islands covered in tall pine trees.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Related Words

• delineate
• devise
• lay out
• outline
• sketch