plan

¹ American  

[plan] / plæn /

noun

1. a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance.

   battle plans.

   Synonyms:

   system, formula, plot

2. a design or scheme of arrangement.

   an elaborate plan for seating guests.

3. a specific project or definite purpose.

   plans for the future.

4. Also called plan view.  a drawing made to scale to represent the top view or a horizontal section of a structure or a machine, as a floor layout of a building.

   Synonyms:

   chart, diagram, draft, sketch

5. a representation of a thing drawn on a plane, as a map or diagram.

   a plan of the dock area.

6. (in perspective drawing) one of several planes in front of a represented object, and perpendicular to the line between the object and the eye.

7. a formal program for specified benefits, needs, etc..

   a pension plan.

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verb (used with object)

planned, planning

1. to arrange a method or scheme beforehand for (any work, enterprise, or proceeding).

   to plan a new recreation center.

   Synonyms:

   plot, devise, design

2. to make plans for.

   to plan one's vacation.

3. to draw or make a diagram or layout of, as a building.

verb (used without object)

planned, planning

1. to make plans.

   to plan ahead; to plan for one's retirement.

plan- ² American  

1. variant of plano- before a vowel.

   planate.

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plan British  

/ plæn /

noun

1. a detailed scheme, method, etc, for attaining an objective

2. (sometimes plural) a proposed, usually tentative idea for doing something

3. a drawing to scale of a horizontal section through a building taken at a given level; a view from above an object or an area in orthographic projection Compare ground plan elevation

4. an outline, sketch, etc

5. (in perspective drawing) any of several imaginary planes perpendicular to the line of vision and between the eye and object depicted

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verb

1. to form a plan (for) or make plans (for)

2. (tr) to make a plan of (a building)

3. (tr; takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to have in mind as a purpose; intend

plan Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing plan

• best-laid plans

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Usage

What is a basic definition of plan? A plan is a program or method prepared ahead of time, a project or definite purpose, or a design or drawing of something. Plan has several other senses as a noun and a verb.When you come up with a plan, you are creating a method or scheme to do something, make something, or take another kind of action, like a plan for getting your homework done. If someone does something without thinking about what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, they don’t have a plan. A plan doesn’t have to be written down, though. It may only exist in your mind. A person who comes up with a plan is a planner.

• Real-life examples: Your school very likely has a plan for everyone leaving the building if there is a fire. Criminals often come up with a plan  of how they will steal something and when so that they will know what to do and be able to leave quickly.
• Used in a sentence: The prisoners needed hot air balloons for their elaborate escape plan. 

Plan is used in this same sense as a verb to mean to scheme something ahead of time.

• Used in a sentence: We planned a surprise party for my dad. 

Plan can also mean a project or definite purpose that someone has thought about or has scheduled to happen. In this sense, it is often used in the plural as plans.

• Used in a sentence: She couldn’t go hiking with us because she had already made plans to travel to California.

Plan is also used as a synonym for diagram and blueprint. A plan of a warehouse, for example, will likely include drawings of the building’s layout or an outline of where wiring and pipes are located within the walls. Usually, an architect or designer will draw up a plan of a building or prototype so that the builders will know what to do.

• Used in a sentence: The fire chief got the building plan from the janitor, so he could find the circuit breaker.

Related Words

Plan, project, design, scheme imply a formulated method of doing something. Plan refers to any method of thinking out acts and purposes beforehand: What are your plans for today? A project is a proposed or tentative plan, often elaborate or extensive: an irrigation project. Design suggests art, dexterity, or craft (sometimes evil and selfish) in the elaboration or execution of a plan, and often tends to emphasize the purpose in view: a misunderstanding brought about by design. A scheme is apt to be either a speculative, possibly impracticable, plan, or a selfish or dishonest one: a scheme to swindle someone.

Other Word Forms

• misplan verb
• outplan verb (used with object)
• overplan verb
• planless adjective
• planlessness noun
• preplan verb
• replan verb (used with object)
• underplan verb (used with object)
• unplan verb (used with object)
• well-planned adjective

Etymology

Origin of plan

First recorded in 1670–80; from French: “ground, plan, groundwork, scheme,” noun use of the adjective: “flat” ( plane ¹ ), a learned borrowing of Latin plānus “level” ( plain ¹ )

Example Sentences

This effect was especially strong in the frontoparietal network, which plays an important role in movement planning, attention, and coordination.

From Science Daily

For people like Andy Coravos, using AI agents to compare insurance plans and order groceries means more time for riding bikes and playing guitar.

From The Wall Street Journal

Doctors are encouraged to consider family history of atherosclerosis, underlying conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, and life events like early menopause or pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia or gestational diabetes, when evaluating risk and planning treatment.

From Science Daily

The team also lays out a detailed plan for future research to better understand how diet and mental well-being are connected.

From Science Daily

They also plan to integrate this method with volumetric holographic multiplexing techniques, which could allow multiple pages and channels of data to be stored at once.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• arrangement
• deal
• idea
• intention
• method
• policy
• procedure
• program
• project
• proposal
• strategy
• suggestion
• system
• treatment