scheme
Americannoun
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schemes
plural
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a plan, design, or program of action to be followed; project.
-
an underhand plot; intrigue.
- Synonyms:
- conspiracy, cabal, stratagem
-
a visionary or impractical project.
-
a body or system of related doctrines, theories, etc..
a scheme of philosophy.
-
any system of correlated things, parts, etc., or the manner of its arrangement.
-
a plan, program, or policy officially adopted and followed, as by a government or business.
The company's pension scheme is very successful.
-
an analytical or tabular statement.
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a diagram, map, or the like.
-
an astrological diagram of the heavens.
verb (used with object)
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schemes,
present (3rd person singular)
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schemed,
past participle, past
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scheming
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
schemes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
schemed,
past participle, past
-
scheming
present participle
noun
-
a systematic plan for a course of action
-
a systematic arrangement of correlated parts; system
-
a secret plot
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a visionary or unrealizable project
-
a chart, diagram, or outline
-
an astrological diagram giving the aspects of celestial bodies at a particular time
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a plan formally adopted by a commercial enterprise or governmental body, as for pensions, etc
-
an area of housing that is laid out esp by a local authority; estate
verb
-
(tr) to devise a system for
-
to form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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schemernoun
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subschemenoun
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underschemenoun
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outschemeverb (used with object)
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schemelessadjective
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unschemedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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schemesimple
-
schemessimple
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have schemedperfect
-
has schemedperfect
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am schemingprogressive
-
are schemingprogressive
-
is schemingprogressive
-
have been schemingperfect progressive
-
has been schemingperfect progressive
Past
-
schemedsimple
-
had schemedperfect
-
was schemingprogressive
-
were schemingprogressive
-
had been schemingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scheme
First recorded in 1545–55; from Medieval Latin schēma (stem schēmat- ), from Greek schêma “form, figure”
Explanation
A scheme is an elaborate plan or plot. It's going to take a really solid scheme, probably involving teleportation or some sort of temporary cloning, to make an appearance at both parties at once. Scheme comes to us from the Latin word for "figure." And it's still used today to refer to a set of drawings and figures used to map out something. Or maybe you’ve heard people talk about something in the scheme of life." In that case they're talking about something that fits into the bigger picture. But don't forget that schemes often carry a negative connotation — the word brings to mind devious plans and secret plots organized by scheming bad guys.
Vocabulary lists containing scheme
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As for Middagh, his role is adding a new wrinkle to the offensive scheme this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
He’ll be manning a pro-style scheme in 2026 constructed by first-time offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville, who comes to Berkeley after three years as Baker Mayfield’s assistant quarterbacks coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
A spokesperson for the airport rejected claims that expansion was incompatible with net zero goals - and said the airport was committed to a completely privately-funded noise insulation scheme for local homes.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
This scheme may not yet be in effect, but it leaves many states in a sort of limbo, including some that are meant to send out ballots as soon as this week.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
We made sure to have a clear view of the proceedings but not be seen; if Mr. Drysdale spied us conspiring together, he might catch on to our scheme.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
And Sydney—after schemes, escapes and sacrifices—is set up for the most famous fictional moment in the Reign of Terror.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Jefferies analyst Randal Konik said in a note ahead of the release that along with shedding “disjointed” color schemes and logo-heavy designs, Lululemon also needed to fix its company culture.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Not lost among the novel’s schemes and counterschemes is the Swifts’ dry repartee, which unfolds in a lively patter even during the more-somber moments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The recycling of white goods is handled by 15 producer compliance schemes, who coordinate the collection, recycling and disposal of units from the UK, increasingly via European processing plants.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Instead, she was forming her own schemes for how to deal with spoiled goods.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
He schemed to get an imported copy seized by customs to trigger a court case over its content.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Afforded extra space by his manager's decision to play Jack Grealish alongside him in a central position, De Bruyne schemed in the way he usually does.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2024
City-states, hoping to win civic glory, sometimes schemed to bribe top athletes to falsely claim that city as their own.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
Prosecutors also added a third defendant to the case: Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, who they say schemed with Trump and his valet, Walt Nauta, to conceal the footage from investigators.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 27, 2023
It didn’t look like anything special, but it was manned by the Stoll brothers, and I shuddered to think what dirty tricks they’d schemed up.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
And Zendaya’s Athena “turns out to be a vulnerable victim of war, or perhaps a projection of Odysseus’ conscience — not a scheming and bloodthirsty war goddess.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Scenes flesh out a lineup of predatory city characters, from an obsessive building superintendent to a scheming nightclub impresario.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
When “The Traitors” executive producer Mike Cotton and his colleagues brought the first season of Peacock’s reality competition to American audiences, doing so with a cast of unknowns scheming for a six-figure prize seemed risky.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
But federal prosecutors argued that Left corrupted the business model by scheming to trade quickly around his statements on social media, where he had a huge following.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
‘That was true then. But those days are over, thanks to Hera’s scheming.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
