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master plan
master plannouna general plan or program for achieving an objective.
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master-plan
master-planverb (used with object)to construct a master plan for.
master plan
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to construct a master plan for.
to master-plan one's career.
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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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of master plan
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
His Los Angeles firm, Studio One Eleven, is overseeing the master plan and designing buildings, but it has also brought in another architect to make the complex’s look more diverse.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
Authorities in Vietnam's capital have been on a demolition blitz, knocking down thousands of homes to make way for bridges and other infrastructure projects as part of a 100-year master plan approved last month.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
Among the agreements signed on Wednesday was a framework for a Vietnam-South Korea "master plan on cooperation in science, technology and innovation".
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
There was a master plan, which was made by Renzo Piano.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
“Tucker and I think we can figure out what McCoy’s master plan is, but we need your help.”
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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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.