scheme
pronunciation
How to pronounce scheme in British English:
UK [skiːm]
How to pronounce scheme in American English:
US [skiːm]
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- Noun:
- an elaborate and systematic plan of action
- a statement that evades the question by cleverness or trickery
- a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole
- an internal representation of the world; an organization of concepts and actions that can be revised by new information about the world
- a schematic or preliminary plan
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- Verb:
- form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
- devise a system or form a scheme for
Word Origin
- scheme
- scheme: [16] Greek skhéma meant ‘form, figure’. Latin took it over as schēma and used it as the equivalent of figure in a range of applications, such as ‘figure of speech’ and ‘diagram’, many of which were originally taken over by English (‘In the text, by a very elegant scheme of speech he does … once more set them at liberty’, John Tillotson, Sermons 1684). The modern sense ‘plan’, which presumably developed out of ‘diagram’, began to emerge in the mid 17th century.
- scheme (n.)
- 1550s, "figure of speech," from Medieval Latin schema "shape, figure, form, appearance; figure of speech; posture in dancing," from Greek skhema (genitive skhematos) "figure, appearance, the nature of a thing," related to skhein "to get," and ekhein "to have," from PIE root *segh- "to hold, to hold in one's power, to have" (cognates: Sanskrit sahate "he masters, overcomes," sahah "power, victory;" Avestan hazah "power, victory;" Greek ekhein "to have, hold;" Gothic sigis, Old High German sigu, Old Norse sigr, Old English sige "victory"). The sense "program of action" first is attested 1640s. Unfavorable overtones (selfish, devious) began to creep in early 18c. Meaning "complex unity of coordinated component elements" is from 1736. Color scheme is attested from 1884.
- scheme (v.)
- "devise a scheme," 1767 (earlier "reduce to a scheme," 1716), from scheme (n.). Related: Schemed; scheming.
Example
- 1. The scheme has already proved popular .
- 2. The scheme has proved more popular than expected .
- 3. A european-level bank deposit-guarantee scheme could avert bank runs .
- 4. As a businessman , mr carroll loves the economics behind this scheme .
- 5. Sceptics will scoff that the indian government is far too incompetent to implement such a scheme .