machination

[ mak-uh-ney-shuhn ]

/ ˌmæk əˈneɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for: machination / machinations on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act or instance of machinating.

Usually machinations. crafty schemes; plots; intrigues.

OTHER WORDS FOR machination

2 stratagem, device.

See synonyms for machination on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of machination

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

OTHER WORDS FROM machination

an·ti·mach·i·na·tion, adjective

Words nearby machination

Machida, machilid, Machilipatnam, machinable, machinate, machination, machine, machine bolt, machine code, machine finish, machine gun

How to use machination in a sentence

She suggested some of the machinations might have to do with the district’s legal counsel, Dan Shinoff.
Fallbrook District Ousted Its Board President but Won’t Say Why|Will Fritz|July 20, 2021|Voice of San Diego
I wasn’t yet aware of the social machinations underpinning my existence.
The great American cool|Safy-Hallan Farah|July 14, 2021|Vox
He also has a politician’s lack of introspection, aversion to showing any weakness, and general lack of curiosity about anything unrelated to the machinations of power.
Chris Matthews’ new book catalogues his front-row seat to history|Charlotte Alter|June 11, 2021|Washington Post
As the legal machinations after the plague reveal, the Rochester chronicler’s supposed “natural order” is in fact artificial, produced by human institutions and political choices.
Pandemics have long created labor shortages. Here’s why.|Spencer Strub|June 3, 2021|Washington Post

It’s time to shine a bright, ugly light on these extremely ugly machinations.
Democrats Finally Step Up and Smack Down Texas Jim Crow Law|Jay Michaelson|May 31, 2021|The Daily Beast
The villain's machination, the lover tied to the railroad track, the train dashing to within two inches of its victim.
The Shadow|Mary White Ovington
Lauzun was always occupied with some machination, even against those to whom he was indifferent; this kept his hand in.
Louis XIV and La Grande Mademoiselle|Arvede Barine
Did the two facts announced by the speakers at the restaurant not form part of the same suspicious machination?
The Golden Triangle|Maurice Leblanc
"We are possibly more interested than yourself in clearing up this mysterious machination," Marksman answered.
The Indian Scout|Gustave Aimard
I will return to Paris to-morrow; I will defeat his machination, expose his falsehood!
Alice, or The Mysteries, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British Dictionary definitions for machination

machination

/ (ˌmækɪˈneɪʃən, ˌmæʃ-) /

noun

an intrigue, plot, or scheme

the act of devising plots or schemes

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

machination

OTHER WORDS FOR machination

Origin of machination

OTHER WORDS FROM machination

Words nearby machination

Words related to machination

How to use machination in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for machination