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Five-Year Plan

American  
[fahyv-yeer] / ˈfaɪvˌjɪər /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)
  1. any plan for national economic or industrial development specifying goals to be reached within a period of five years, especially as undertaken by the Soviet Union and China.


Five-Year Plan British  

noun

  1. (formerly in socialist economies) a government plan for economic development over a period of five years

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Five-Year Plan

1925–30; originally probably as translation of Russian pyatilétka

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:

China’s latest Five-Year Plan explicitly designates it as one of seven “future industries” set to drive national growth.

From Barron's Jun. 29, 2026

It notes Beijing’s inclusion of robotics as a strategic emerging industry in its 15th Five-Year Plan.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 24, 2026

Beijing even designated the technology as a national priority in its latest Five-Year Plan, aiming to make quantum computers widely available by 2030.

From Barron's Jun. 21, 2026

This is a key focus of the country's new 15th Five-Year Plan, which sees technology not just as an economic priority but as a strategic one given tensions with the US.

From BBC Mar. 29, 2026

The first Five-Year Plan seized this land for the state under a program called “collectivization.”

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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