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• master plan
  master plan

  noun

  a general plan or program for achieving an objective.
• master-plan
  master-plan

  verb (used with object)

  to construct a master plan for.

master plan

¹ American  

noun

1. a general plan or program for achieving an objective.

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master-plan ² American  

[mas-ter-plan, mah-ster-] / ˈmæs tərˌplæn, ˈmɑ stər- /

verb (used with object)

master-planned, master-planning

1. to construct a master plan for.

   to master-plan one's career.

2. to develop or improve (land, a community, a building complex, or the like) through a long-range plan that balances and harmonizes all elements.

   The engineers master-planned the island to provide for increases in the tourist population.

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master plan British  

noun

1. a comprehensive long-term strategy

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Etymology

Origin of master plan

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Colletti: I’ve got this master plan of telling my kid that his dad was on a TV show that was really cool back in the day.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

While the pacing stumbles a little in the first half, it picks up satisfyingly on alternate Earth with John Ward’s as-yet-unknown master plan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

His son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has no official title but is one of Trump's envoys for the Gaza ceasefire, said his "master plan" aimed for "catastrophic success".

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Carney’s master plan for breaking U.S. dependency—extracting more natural resources and diversifying their export—will take years at best, and he may not be making the best start.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

“So what is this master plan, Fowl? Let me guess—world domination?”

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• blueprint
• scheme