scheme
Americannoun
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a plan, design, or program of action to be followed; project.
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an underhand plot; intrigue.
- Synonyms:
- conspiracy, cabal, stratagem
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a visionary or impractical project.
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a body or system of related doctrines, theories, etc..
a scheme of philosophy.
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any system of correlated things, parts, etc., or the manner of its arrangement.
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a plan, program, or policy officially adopted and followed, as by a government or business.
The company's pension scheme is very successful.
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an analytical or tabular statement.
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a diagram, map, or the like.
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an astrological diagram of the heavens.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a systematic plan for a course of action
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a systematic arrangement of correlated parts; system
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a secret plot
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a visionary or unrealizable project
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a chart, diagram, or outline
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an astrological diagram giving the aspects of celestial bodies at a particular time
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a plan formally adopted by a commercial enterprise or governmental body, as for pensions, etc
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an area of housing that is laid out esp by a local authority; estate
verb
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(tr) to devise a system for
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to form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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schemernoun
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subschemenoun
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underschemenoun
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outschemeverb (used with object)
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schemelessadjective
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unschemedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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schemesimple
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schemessimple
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have schemedperfect
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has schemedperfect
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am schemingprogressive
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are schemingprogressive
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is schemingprogressive
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have been schemingperfect progressive
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has been schemingperfect progressive
Past
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schemedsimple
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had schemedperfect
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was schemingprogressive
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were schemingprogressive
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had been schemingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scheme
First recorded in 1545–55; from Medieval Latin schēma (stem schēmat- ), from Greek schêma “form, figure”
Explanation
A scheme is an elaborate plan or plot. It's going to take a really solid scheme, probably involving teleportation or some sort of temporary cloning, to make an appearance at both parties at once. Scheme comes to us from the Latin word for "figure." And it's still used today to refer to a set of drawings and figures used to map out something. Or maybe you’ve heard people talk about something in the scheme of life." In that case they're talking about something that fits into the bigger picture. But don't forget that schemes often carry a negative connotation — the word brings to mind devious plans and secret plots organized by scheming bad guys.
Vocabulary lists containing scheme
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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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.
“Turn that thing off!” growled a very perturbed man somewhere front orchestra left — a highly unexpected addition to the opening horn solo of Franz von Suppé’s 1865 overture to “Die schöne Galathée.”
From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2022
The festival will open with previously announced performances of the tenor Mark Padmore singing Schubert’s song cycles: “Die schöne Müllerin,” “Schwanengesang,” and “Winterreise.”
From New York Times • Jun. 24, 2015
And even the phlegmatic driver of their Einspänner looked back from the corner of his eye at the schöne Engländerin, and compared her mentally with the far-famed beauty of the Königssee.
From Stories by American Authors, Volume 2 by Various
I saw and heard the great Johann Strauss—this was the grandfather—and in after years his son, and the schöne Edie his grandson.
From Memoirs by Leland, Charles Godfrey
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.
