Library / English Dictionary

PLAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: planned    , planning   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Scale drawing of a structure

Example:

the plans for City Hall were on file

Synonyms:

architectural plan; plan

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("plan" is a kind of...):

drawing (a representation of forms or objects on a surface by means of lines)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plan"):

elevation (drawing of an exterior of a structure)

floor plan (scale drawing of a horizontal section through a building at a given level; contrasts with elevation)

Derivation:

plan (make a design of; plan out in systematic, often graphic form)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An arrangement scheme

Example:

a plan for seating guests

Synonyms:

design; plan

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("plan" is a kind of...):

arrangement; organisation; organization; system (an organized structure for arranging or classifying)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plan"):

configuration; constellation (an arrangement of parts or elements)

layout (a plan or design of something that is laid out)

snare; trap (something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares)

hotel plan; meal plan (a plan and a room rate for providing a room and meals to guests at a hotel)

Derivation:

plan (make plans for something)

plan (make or work out a plan for; devise)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

Example:

they discussed plans for a new bond issue

Synonyms:

plan; program; programme

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("plan" is a kind of...):

idea; thought (the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plan"):

budget (a summary of intended expenditures along with proposals for how to meet them)

stock purchase plan (an organized plan for employees of a company to buy shares of its stock)

guideline; road map (a detailed plan or explanation to guide you in setting standards or determining a course of action)

employee savings plan (a plan that allows employees to contribute to an investment pool managed the employer)

pension account; pension plan; retirement account; retirement plan; retirement program; retirement savings account; retirement savings plan (a plan for setting aside money to be spent after retirement)

agenda; docket; schedule (a temporally organized plan for matters to be attended to)

project; projection (a planned undertaking)

regime; regimen ((medicine) a systematic plan for therapy (often including diet))

plan of action (a plan for actively doing something)

blueprint; design; pattern (something intended as a guide for making something else)

master plan (a long-term outline of a project or government function)

outline; schema; scheme (a schematic or preliminary plan)

audit program; audit programme (a listing of audit procedures to be performed in completing an audit)

Derivation:

plan (make plans for something)

plan (make or work out a plan for; devise)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make plans for something

Example:

He is planning a trip with his family

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "plan" is one way to...):

cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plan"):

schedule (make a schedule; plan the time and place for events)

lay out (provide a detailed plan or design)

direct; engineer; mastermind; orchestrate; organise; organize (plan and direct (a complex undertaking))

designate; destine; intend; specify (design or destine)

scheme (devise a system or form a scheme for)

plot (plan secretly, usually something illegal)

compose; draw up; frame (make up plans or basic details for)

project; propose (present for consideration, examination, criticism, etc.)

chart (plan in detail)

schedule (plan for an activity or event)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue plan the movie

Derivation:

planning (an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action)

planner (a person who makes plans)

planner (a notebook for recording appointments and things to be done, etc.)

plan (a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished)

plan (an arrangement scheme)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Have the will and intention to carry out some action

Example:

The rebels had planned turmoil and confusion

Synonyms:

be after; plan

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "plan" is one way to...):

intend; mean; think (have in mind as a purpose)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plan"):

think out (consider carefully and rationally)

aim; aspire; draw a bead on; shoot for (have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal)

go for; hope (intend with some possibility of fulfilment)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sentence example:

They plan to move

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make or work out a plan for; devise

Example:

plan an attack

Synonyms:

contrive; design; plan; project

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "plan" is one way to...):

create by mental act; create mentally (create mentally and abstractly rather than with one's hands)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plan"):

plot (devise the sequence of events in (a literary work or a play, movie, or ballet))

concert (contrive (a plan) by mutual agreement)

map; map out (plan, delineate, or arrange in detail)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They plan to move

Derivation:

plan (an arrangement scheme)

plan (a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished)

planner (a person who makes plans)

planning (the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make a design of; plan out in systematic, often graphic form

Example:

plan the new wing of the museum

Synonyms:

design; plan

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "plan" is one way to...):

create by mental act; create mentally (create mentally and abstractly rather than with one's hands)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plan"):

engineer (design as an engineer)

redesign (design anew, make a new design for)

blueprint; draft; draught (make a blueprint of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

plan (scale drawing of a structure)

planner (a person who makes plans)

planning (the act or process of drawing up plans or layouts for some project or enterprise)

Credits

 Context examples: 

It is important to know the subtype of a cancer in order to plan treatment and determine prognosis.

(Cancer subtype, NCI Dictionary)

Supposing there was no mistake in the case, and Mr. Murdstone had devised this plan to get rid of me, what should I do?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Checking to see if a cancer is c-erbB-2 positive may help plan treatment, which may include drugs that kill c-erbB-2 positive cancer cells.

(c-erbB-2 positive, NCI Dictionary)

Taking the sled as the centre of the circle that One Ear was making, Bill planned to tap that circle at a point in advance of the pursuit.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Have a back-up plan and supplies in the event of an emergency.

(Medical Device Safety, Food and Drug Administration)

He would approve of your plans, Jane?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient wake up at night, dress, and plan to go out thinking that it is morning and time to start the day?

(NPI - Wake Up at Night, Dress, and Plan to Go Out, NCI Thesaurus)

His plans were facilitated by the news which arrived from Paris.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Pain relievers are just one part of a pain treatment plan.

(Pain Relievers, NIH)

The plan had reached this point, when Anne, coming quietly down from Louisa's room, could not but hear what followed, for the parlour door was open.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)