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Synonyms

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
machination British  
/ ˌmæʃ-, ˌmækɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

  1. an intrigue, plot, or scheme

  2. 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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sal quietly seethes with irritation at Sonny’s misbegotten machinations, his chilly demeanor suggesting a tense and potentially dangerous volatility.

From The Wall Street Journal

But it was through her machinations that he met Hammerstein, a debt he repaid by supporting her financially through much of her life.

From Los Angeles Times

The machinations of both camps are coming into focus.

From Salon

Every now and then a particular asset is afforded greater heft than usual in determining broader market machinations.

From MarketWatch

Okay, that was improbable, seeing as he hadn’t even realized who I was at first, but one could never be too careful when it came to Rachel’s machinations.

From Literature

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.