machination

noun

mach·​i·​na·​tion ˌma-kə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce machination (audio)
ˌma-shə-
1
: an act of machinating
2
: a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end
backstage machinations … that have dominated the film industryPeter Bogdanovich
Choose the Right Synonym for machination

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

Examples of machination in a Sentence

incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
Recent Examples on the Web As Villeneuve says, the film focuses more on the machinations of the Bene Gesserit. Christian Holub, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Not diplomatic notes, but investigations into the financial machinations. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Rather than being contained in the city of Midgar, its backdrop is the entire world of Gaia and the impacts Shinra’s political and planetary machinations have had there. Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 22 Feb. 2024 Constructing this tale about the pursuit of justice has required the machinations of a perverse system. Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2024 Billie Piper will play McAllister in the film, following her through the behind-the-scenes machinations and negotiations with Buckingham Palace that led to Prince Andrew agreeing to sit for the cameras. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024 Ken, for all his doll-revolution machinations, isn’t actually a villain. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2024 Similarly, the machinations of the plot are often internal, with the enemies and conflict provided by MI5 itself rather than existential threats. J. Oliver Conroy, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024 Which means the Fed’s machinations not only have nothing to do with prices (thank goodness), but also nothing to do with inflation. John Tamny, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'machination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of machination was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near machination

Cite this Entry

“Machination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machination. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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