1
2
: ground plan, plat
3
: the plan or main story (as of a movie or literary work)
4
[perhaps back-formation from complot]
: a secret plan for accomplishing a usually evil or unlawful end : intrigue
5
: a graphic representation (such as a chart)
plotlessness
noun
plotted; plotting
1
a
: to make a plot, map, or plan of
b
: to mark or note on or as if on a map or chart
2
: to lay out in plots (see plot entry 1 sense 1)
3
a
: to locate (a point) by means of coordinates
b
: to locate (a curve) by plotted points
c
: to represent (an equation) by means of a curve so constructed
4
: to plan or contrive especially secretly
5
: to invent or devise the plot of (something, such as a movie or a literary work)
1
: to form a plot : scheme
2
: to be located by means of coordinates
the data plot at a single point
Synonyms
Examples of plot in a Sentence
Noun
Her books are page-turners, and yet there is more going on in them than just the mechanics of a clever plot …
—
Robin McKinley, New York Times Book Review, 17 May 1987
… as he stood before the great dripping department store which now occupied the big plot of ground where once had stood both the Amberson Hotel and the Amberson Opera House.
—Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons, 1918
When I returned with the pistol the table had been cleared, and Holmes was engaged in his favourite occupation of scraping upon his violin. "The plot thickens," he said, as I entered …
—Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887
The plots are selling for $15,000 per acre.
They just bought a 12-acre plot of land.
The book's plot revolves around a woman who is searching for her missing sister.
The movie has a weak plot.
Police uncovered a plot to assassinate the prime minister.
The prime minister was the target of an assassination plot.
Verb
While men plotted wars or devised philosophies, women were confined within their homes …
—Barbara Ehrenreich, Ms., Winter 2007
Would-be nation builders plotted Italy's unification from the south and the north.
—David Van Biema, Time, 4 Sept. 2000
They plotted to steal the painting.
She spent her years in prison plotting her revenge.
We've been plotting growth strategies for the company.
She carefully plotted her career path.
They've plotted the locations where the trees will be planted.
Have you plotted the route for your trip yet?
Students plotted soil temperatures on a graph throughout the school year.
Robin McKinley, New York Times Book Review, 17 May 1987
… as he stood before the great dripping department store which now occupied the big plot of ground where once had stood both the Amberson Hotel and the Amberson Opera House.
—Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons, 1918
When I returned with the pistol the table had been cleared, and Holmes was engaged in his favourite occupation of scraping upon his violin. "The plot thickens," he said, as I entered …
—Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887
The plots are selling for $15,000 per acre.
They just bought a 12-acre plot of land.
The book's plot revolves around a woman who is searching for her missing sister.
The movie has a weak plot.
Police uncovered a plot to assassinate the prime minister.
The prime minister was the target of an assassination plot.
Verb
While men plotted wars or devised philosophies, women were confined within their homes …
—Barbara Ehrenreich, Ms., Winter 2007
Would-be nation builders plotted Italy's unification from the south and the north.
—David Van Biema, Time, 4 Sept. 2000
They plotted to steal the painting.
She spent her years in prison plotting her revenge.
We've been plotting growth strategies for the company.
She carefully plotted her career path.
They've plotted the locations where the trees will be planted.
Have you plotted the route for your trip yet?
Students plotted soil temperatures on a graph throughout the school year.
Recent Examples on the WebAramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
The plot of land that made up Section 14 belonged to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, but was held in trust by the federal government.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
What is the plot of 'Sting?' Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is a girl living in an apartment complex with her mom, stepdad and new baby brother.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The musical's plot revolves around conflicts between the group of greasers and more affluent teenagers in the city, known as Socs.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
However, the sampling of breast milk has been a recurring plot line on Keeping Up With the Kardashians over the years, and her younger sister Kim even once tried using Kourtney's breast milk to treat her psoriasis.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 11 Apr. 2024
Dedmon devised the plot to cover up the involved officers' misconduct and was sentenced to 40 years in prison - the longest prison term given in the case.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
The contortions of the plot also work because Park is such an arresting and inventive visual storyteller.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Once it was actually filmed, and subtitles were added to the multiple time lines and the twisty spy plot, the show seemed more complicated than before.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
And there was real-life drama in the family, involving Franklin’s son and Temple’s father, William Franklin, the royal governor of New Jersey, who supported the crown and plotted against the Americans, causing a rift never to heal, which is cataloged here if not explored.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Also in 2012, court documents say Sexton sent an anonymous email to the Transportation Security Administration, falsely reporting that his girlfriend, who worked at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, was plotting to run drugs through the airport.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
Iranian authorities charged her with plotting to kill him and convicted her of murder in 2007.
—Nilo Tabrizy, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
What resulted is the story of a man, referred to as Kid, who plots to avenge his mom’s death by wreaking havoc on the nefarious leaders who killed her.
—Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The court said that Mr. Xu had plotted to poison Mr. Lin and four other people over an office dispute.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
In the same way the Michelin Guide was created to encourage the French to drive more (and therefore buy more tires), Flyer partnered with Hasler in the early 2000s to plot itineraries that would encourage skeptics to try e-bikes.
—Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Akbar Gbajabiamila finally exacted his revenge against O'Connell on April Fools' Day, after plotting for two years.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
Noun
The vast plot points and storylines muddle the central message of the show instead of fortifying it.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
The plot of land that made up Section 14 belonged to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, but was held in trust by the federal government.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
What is the plot of 'Sting?' Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is a girl living in an apartment complex with her mom, stepdad and new baby brother.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The musical's plot revolves around conflicts between the group of greasers and more affluent teenagers in the city, known as Socs.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
However, the sampling of breast milk has been a recurring plot line on Keeping Up With the Kardashians over the years, and her younger sister Kim even once tried using Kourtney's breast milk to treat her psoriasis.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 11 Apr. 2024
Dedmon devised the plot to cover up the involved officers' misconduct and was sentenced to 40 years in prison - the longest prison term given in the case.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
The contortions of the plot also work because Park is such an arresting and inventive visual storyteller.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Once it was actually filmed, and subtitles were added to the multiple time lines and the twisty spy plot, the show seemed more complicated than before.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
Trump is keeping that discontent at the fore, and college leaders are having to reckon with the real possibility of a second Trump term and plot their politics accordingly.
Make sense of what matters in Washington.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
And there was real-life drama in the family, involving Franklin’s son and Temple’s father, William Franklin, the royal governor of New Jersey, who supported the crown and plotted against the Americans, causing a rift never to heal, which is cataloged here if not explored.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Also in 2012, court documents say Sexton sent an anonymous email to the Transportation Security Administration, falsely reporting that his girlfriend, who worked at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, was plotting to run drugs through the airport.
—Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
Iranian authorities charged her with plotting to kill him and convicted her of murder in 2007.
—Nilo Tabrizy, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
What resulted is the story of a man, referred to as Kid, who plots to avenge his mom’s death by wreaking havoc on the nefarious leaders who killed her.
—Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The court said that Mr. Xu had plotted to poison Mr. Lin and four other people over an office dispute.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
In the same way the Michelin Guide was created to encourage the French to drive more (and therefore buy more tires), Flyer partnered with Hasler in the early 2000s to plot itineraries that would encourage skeptics to try e-bikes.
—Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Akbar Gbajabiamila finally exacted his revenge against O'Connell on April Fools' Day, after plotting for two years.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near plot
Cite this Entry
“Plot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plot. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plot
1 of 2 noun1
: a small area of ground : lot
a cemetery plot
2
: a plan of a floor of a building
3
: the main story (as of a literary work or movie)
4
: an evil or unlawful scheme
5
plot
2 of 2 verb
plotted; plotting
1
a
: to make a plot, map, or plan of
b
: to mark, note, or locate on a map or chart
plot a ship's position
2
: to plan especially secretly : scheme
3
a
: to locate and mark (a point) by means of coordinates
b
: to make (a curve) by marking out a number of plotted points
plotter
noun
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