scheme
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Related to schemes: Pyramid schemes
scheme
(skēm)n.
1. A systematic plan of action: "Did you ever carry out your scheme of writing a series of sonnets embodying all the great epochs of art?" (Edith Wharton). See Synonyms at plan.
2. A secret or devious plan; a plot: a scheme to defraud investors.
3. An orderly plan or arrangement of related parts: an irrigation scheme with dams, reservoirs, and channels.
4. A chart, diagram, or outline of a system or object.
v. schemed, schem·ing, schemes
v.tr.
To contrive a plan or scheme for; plot: scheming their revenge.
v.intr.
To make plans, especially secret or devious ones.
schem′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
scheme
(skiːm)n
1. a systematic plan for a course of action
2. a systematic arrangement of correlated parts; system
3. a secret plot
4. a visionary or unrealizable project
5. a chart, diagram, or outline
6. (Astrology) an astrological diagram giving the aspects of celestial bodies at a particular time
7. (Banking & Finance) chiefly Brit a plan formally adopted by a commercial enterprise or governmental body, as for pensions, etc
8. chiefly Scot an area of housing that is laid out esp by a local authority; estate
vb
9. (tr) to devise a system for
10. to form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
[C16: from Latin schema, from Greek skhēma form]
ˈschemer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
scheme
(skim)n., v. schemed, schem•ing. n.
1. a plan, design, or program of action; project.
2. an underhand plot; intrigue.
3. any system or pattern of correlated things, parts, etc., or the manner of their arrangement: a color scheme.
4. an analytical or tabular statement.
5. a diagram, map, or the like.
v.t. 6. to devise as a scheme; plan; plot; contrive.
v.i. 7. to lay schemes; devise plans; plot.
[1545–55; < Medieval Latin schēma (s. schēmat-) < Greek schêma form, figure]
scheme′less, adj.
schem′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
scheme
- From Greek skhema, "figure, form," it first referred to a figure of speech, especially a figure of rhetoric, denoting a way of deviating from the ordinary use and order of words to create special effect.See also related terms for rhetoric.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
Scheme(s)
a body of related doctrines; a methodical list; a programme of action.Examples: scheme of questions, 1780; of times, 1677; schemes of blood, 1646; of saddest evils, 1701.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
scheme
Past participle: schemed
Gerund: scheming
| Imperative |
|---|
| scheme |
| scheme |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  scheme - an elaborate and systematic plan of actionplan of action - a plan for actively doing something dodge, stratagem, contrivance - an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade; "his testimony was just a contrivance to throw us off the track" counterterrorism - a strategy intended to prevent or counter terrorism game plan - (sports) a plan for achieving an objective in some sport game plan - (figurative) a carefully thought out strategy for achieving an objective in war or politics or business or personal affairs; "newscasters speculated about the President's game plan for an invasion" house of cards, bubble - a speculative scheme that depends on unstable factors that the planner cannot control; "his proposal was nothing but a house of cards"; "a real estate bubble" playbook - a scheme or set of strategies for conducting a business campaign or a political campaign; "they borrowed a page from the playbook of the opposition" plot, secret plan, game - a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal); "they concocted a plot to discredit the governor"; "I saw through his little game from the start" pyramid scheme - a fraudulent scheme in which people are recruited to make payments to the person who recruited them while expecting to receive payments from the persons they recruit; when the number of new recruits fails to sustain the hierarchical payment structure the scheme collapses with most of the participants losing the money they put in waiting game - a strategy of delay wheeze - (Briticism) a clever or amusing scheme or trick; "a clever wheeze probably succeeded in neutralizing the German espionage threat" incentive program, incentive scheme - a formal scheme for inducing someone (as employees) to do something |
| 2. |  scheme - a statement that evades the question by cleverness or trickery | |
| 3. |  scheme - a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole; "a vast system of production and distribution and consumption keep the country going"language system - a system of linguistic units or elements used in a particular language judicatory, judicial system, judiciary, judicature - the system of law courts that administer justice and constitute the judicial branch of government economic system, economy - the system of production and distribution and consumption ecosystem - a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment hierarchy - a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system; "put honesty first in her hierarchy of values" social organisation, social organization, social structure, social system, structure - the people in a society considered as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships; "the social organization of England and America is very different"; "sociologists have studied the changing structure of the family" dragnet - a system of coordinated measures for apprehending (criminals or other individuals); "caught in the police dragnet" machinery - a system of means and activities whereby a social institution functions; "the complex machinery of negotiation"; "the machinery of command labored and brought forth an order" network, web - an interconnected system of things or people; "he owned a network of shops"; "retirement meant dropping out of a whole network of people who had been part of my life"; "tangled in a web of cloth" nonlinear system - a system whose performance cannot be described by equations of the first degree subsystem - a system that is part of some larger system organism - a system considered analogous in structure or function to a living body; "the social organism" syntax - a systematic orderly arrangement body - a collection of particulars considered as a system; "a body of law"; "a body of doctrine"; "a body of precedents" shebang - an entire system; used in the phrase `the whole shebang' solar system - the sun with the celestial bodies that revolve around it in its gravitational field water system - a river and all of its tributaries root system, rootage - a developed system of roots | |
| 4. | scheme - an internal representation of the world; an organization of concepts and actions that can be revised by new information about the world internal representation, mental representation, representation - a presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image | |
| 5. | scheme - a schematic or preliminary plan | |
| Verb | 1. | scheme - form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner plot - plan secretly, usually something illegal; "They plotted the overthrow of the government" |
| 2. | scheme - devise a system or form a scheme for plan - make plans for something; "He is planning a trip with his family" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
scheme
noun
1. plan, programme, strategy, system, design, project, theory, proposal, device, tactics, course of action, contrivance a private pension scheme
2. plot, dodge, ploy, ruse, game (informal), shift, intrigue, conspiracy, manoeuvre, machinations, subterfuge, stratagem a quick money-making scheme
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
scheme
noun1. A method for making, doing, or accomplishing something:
2. A secret plan to achieve an evil or illegal end:
1. To work out a secret plan to achieve an evil or illegal end:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
scheme
(skiːm) noun1. a plan or arrangement; a way of doing something. a colour scheme for the room; There are various schemes for improving the roads.plan, programa, proyecto
2. a (usually secret) dishonest plan. His schemes to steal the money were discovered.estratagema
verb to make (especially dishonest) schemes. He was punished for scheming against the President; They have all been scheming for my dismissal.conspirar
ˈschemer nounHe's a dangerous schemer.intrigante
ˈscheming adjective having or making (usually secret) dishonest plans. a scheming woman.maquinador, intrigante
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
scheme
→ planMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009