a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance: battle plans.
a design or scheme of arrangement: an elaborate plan for seating guests.
a specific project or definite purpose: plans for the future.
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.
a representation of a thing drawn on a plane, as a map or diagram: a plan of the dock area.
(in perspective drawing) one of several planes in front of a represented object, and perpendicular to the line between the object and the eye.
a formal program for specified benefits, needs, etc.: a pension plan.
verb (used with object),planned,plan·ning.
to arrange a method or scheme beforehand for (any work, enterprise, or proceeding): to plan a new recreation center.
to make plans for: to plan one's vacation.
to draw or make a diagram or layout of, as a building.
verb (used without object),planned,plan·ning.
to make plans: to plan ahead; to plan for one's retirement.
Origin of plan
First recorded in 1670–80; from French: “ground, plan, groundwork, scheme,” noun use of the adjective: “flat” (see plane1), a learned borrowing of Latin plānus “level” (cf. plain1)
SYNONYMS FOR plan
1 plot, formula, system.
4 sketch, draft, diagram, chart.
8 design, devise, plot.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR plan ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for plan
1. 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.
historical usage of plan
The English noun plan comes from the French noun plan “a sketch, diagram, drawing, ground plan, plane surface,” from the adjective plan “flat, even, plane (in geometry).” French plan is a Latinized form of plain (with the same meanings), from the Latin adjective plānus “flat, level, horizontal, two-dimensional, plane (in geometry).” The French noun plan is also partly an alteration of the earlier French noun plant, a derivative of the verb planter “to plant, drive in, stick in, fix in place,” from Latin plantāre “to set in place, fix in place, plant, transplant.” The meaning “an organized proposal or scheme of action” first appeared in 1635; the more etymological meaning “a drawing or diagram of an object made by projection on a horizontal plane” appeared in 1664. The earliest citation for “a formal program for specified benefits” is first recorded in 1912, with specific reference to a savings plan.
OTHER WORDS FROM plan
planless,adjectiveplan·less·ness,nounmis·plan,verb,mis·planned,mis·plan·ning.outplan,verb (used with object),out·planned,out·plan·ning.
o·ver·plan,verb,o·ver·planned,o·ver·plan·ning.pre·plan,verb,pre·planned,pre·plan·ning.re·plan,verb (used with object),re·planned,re·plan·ning.un·der·plan,verb (used with object),un·der·planned,un·der·plan·ning.un·plan,verb (used with object),un·planned,un·plan·ning.well-planned,adjective
At UNC-Chapel Hill, those plans were quickly reversed when 130 students tested positive for the virus just a week into the new semester.
Why hasn’t digital learning lived up to its promise?|Walter Thompson|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
The plan envisioned Oracle as a minority shareholder, thus mollifying Beijing.
Trump suddenly turns against TikTok’s delicate deal|claychandler|September 17, 2020|Fortune
If these reported plans were to go forward, it would be difficult to see how these conditions could be met.
Biden warns U.K. that peace in Northern Ireland must not become a “casualty” of Brexit|kdunn6|September 17, 2020|Fortune
Dhere calls the live vaccine something of a backup plan for the Serum Institute.
Synthetic biologists have created a slow-growing version of the coronavirus to give as a vaccine|David Rotman|September 16, 2020|MIT Technology Review
When he told a voter earlier in the night that he had a health-care plan ready to go, Stephanopoulos noted it had been “three and a half years” without one passing.
Trump, in town hall, says he wouldn’t have done anything differently on pandemic|Colby Itkowitz, Josh Dawsey, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
The plan is to stretch it out as long as possible, then probably forget about it, and then suddenly remember it.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The various members met for the first time when they traveled to Gambia at the beginning of December to carry out their plan.
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country|Jacob Siegel|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her new comments will only add to ongoing speculation that the Yorks plan, one day, to remarry.
Fergie Dives Into Prince Andrew’s Sex Scandal|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The family behind Sotto Sotto says that they plan to rebuild, but an insider tells me it may be a while.
The Fiery Death of Sotto Sotto, Toronto’s Celebrity Hotspot|Shinan Govani|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some in the intelligence community seem to have followed through on that plan.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had been speculating on what plan of action he would adopt.
The Uttermost Farthing|R. Austin Freeman
No, darling, they are humbugging you, because they were afraid lest their plan should be known.
The Works of Guy de Maupassant, Vol. 6|Guy de Maupassant
We may, in the first place, assume that law or plan must characterize creation.
The Origin of the World According to Revelation and Science|John William Dawson
But it was absolutely necessary, for there was no other plan by which I could tunnel through the tops of the boxes.
The Boy Tar|Mayne Reid
He warily sounded a nature that could be warped to the exigencies of any plan, provided it was profitable.
Sons of the Soil|Honore de Balzac
British Dictionary definitions for plan
plan
/ (plæn) /
noun
a detailed scheme, method, etc, for attaining an objective
(sometimes plural)a proposed, usually tentative idea for doing something
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 projectionCompare ground plan (def. 1), elevation (def. 5)
an outline, sketch, etc
(in perspective drawing) any of several imaginary planes perpendicular to the line of vision and between the eye and object depicted
verbplans, planningorplanned
to form a plan (for) or make plans (for)
(tr)to make a plan of (a building)
(tr; takes a clause as object or an infinitive)to have in mind as a purpose; intend
Word Origin for plan
C18: via French from Latin plānus flat; compare plane1, plain1