Schemes: meaning, definitions and examples

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schemes

 

[ skiːmz ]

Noun / Verb
Context #1 | Noun

business

A systematic plan or arrangement for putting some idea into effect, especially an intrigue to bring about some alteration of government or the like.

Synonyms

plan, plot, strategy

Examples of usage

  • Corruption schemes have plagued the government for years.
  • The company implemented a new marketing scheme to increase sales.
  • The political party devised a scheme to win the upcoming election.
Context #2 | Noun

British English

An official system used to calculate amounts of money that people pay for services such as health care or education.

Synonyms

policy, program, system

Examples of usage

  • The new healthcare scheme aims to provide better access to medical services for all citizens.
  • The government introduced a pension scheme to support the elderly population.
  • The education scheme includes financial assistance for students.
Context #3 | Verb

informal

Make plans, especially in a devious way or with intent to do something illegal or wrong.

Synonyms

conspire, plan, plot

Examples of usage

  • He schemed to take over the company by manipulating his colleagues.
  • She schemed to sabotage her competitor's chances of winning the contract.

Translations

Translations of the word "schemes" in other languages:

🇵🇹 esquemas

🇮🇳 योजनाएँ

🇩🇪 Schemata

🇮🇩 skema

🇺🇦 схеми

🇵🇱 schematy

🇯🇵 スキーム

🇫🇷 schémas

🇪🇸 esquemas

🇹🇷 şemalar

🇰🇷 도식

🇸🇦 مخططات

🇨🇿 schémata

🇸🇰 schémy

🇨🇳 方案

🇸🇮 sheme

🇮🇸 skemu

🇰🇿 сызбалар

🇬🇪 სქემები

🇦🇿 sxemalar

🇲🇽 esquemas

Etymology

The word 'schemes' originated from the Old French word 'escheme', meaning 'figure, shape'. It entered the English language in the late 14th century with the sense of 'an arrangement' or 'a design'. Over time, the term evolved to encompass various meanings related to plans, strategies, and devious plots. Today, 'schemes' is widely used in business, politics, and everyday language to refer to organized plans or deceptive intentions.

See also: schemer, schemers, scheming.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,563, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.