scheme
Americannoun
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schemes
plural
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a plan, design, or program of action to be followed; project.
-
an underhand plot; intrigue.
- Synonyms:
- conspiracy, cabal, stratagem
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a visionary or impractical project.
-
a body or system of related doctrines, theories, etc..
a scheme of philosophy.
-
any system of correlated things, parts, etc., or the manner of its arrangement.
-
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.
-
an astrological diagram of the heavens.
verb (used with object)
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schemes,
present (3rd person singular)
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schemed,
past participle, past
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scheming
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
schemes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
schemed,
past participle, past
-
scheming
present participle
noun
-
a systematic plan for a course of action
-
a systematic arrangement of correlated parts; system
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a secret plot
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a visionary or unrealizable project
-
a chart, diagram, or outline
-
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
-
an area of housing that is laid out esp by a local authority; estate
verb
-
(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
-
schemessimple
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have schemedperfect
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has schemedperfect
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am schemingprogressive
-
are schemingprogressive
-
is schemingprogressive
-
have been schemingperfect progressive
-
has been schemingperfect progressive
Past
-
schemedsimple
-
had schemedperfect
-
was schemingprogressive
-
were schemingprogressive
-
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
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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.
See Examples For:
The first minister updated parliament on his plans for a pilot scheme in Tayside, Fife and Central during a Scottish Parliament debate on tackling violence against women.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Justice Department said several companies used crypto exchange Binance to relay payments for black-market Iranian oil from Chinese buyers, as part of a scheme to finance Iran’s military in violation of sanctions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
A scheme in Teesside saw a tug of war between ministers over whether it should be used for a low carbon hydrogen energy scheme, or a massive new AI data centre.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
And I’m sure someone has told her not to resurrect Nate Bargatze’s bizarre charity scheme to keep acceptance speeches short.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
They sat there, three lizards, not very big at all in the scheme of things, the largest in the middle, the two smaller ones on either side, doing their best to make him feel protected.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Such confidence schemes are known as “pig butchering” — a particularly rancid term for a rancid business.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
The charity has called on the government to strengthen the warranty schemes on new developments.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Just when you think you know all the cyber schemes, fraudsters find new ways to attack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
And Sydney—after schemes, escapes and sacrifices—is set up for the most famous fictional moment in the Reign of Terror.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
I had told Dad about Trotter’s schemes to get out of doing chores.
From "Doing Time Online" by Jan Siebold
In December, as the coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he schemed his team to a 27-24 victory over the Rams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
He schemed to get an imported copy seized by customs to trigger a court case over its content.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Afforded extra space by his manager's decision to play Jack Grealish alongside him in a central position, De Bruyne schemed in the way he usually does.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2024
City-states, hoping to win civic glory, sometimes schemed to bribe top athletes to falsely claim that city as their own.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024
They leaped and schemed escapes, producing doors from air.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Instead of scheming to hack a company, a swarm with as many as 10,000 agents hacked away at math for 88 hours, building on each other’s work—and the work of humans—until they reached a solution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
“They bring a bit of everything, and Coach Patterson does a great job of scheming up the defense,” Paige said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
It could be argued Tielemans' arrival addresses an issue Manchester United have had since Carrick quit in 2018; the scheming midfielder with an eye for a pass, who can break a defensive line.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
And Zendaya’s Athena “turns out to be a vulnerable victim of war, or perhaps a projection of Odysseus’ conscience — not a scheming and bloodthirsty war goddess.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
These soldier types were forever scheming up one thing or another.
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
