Main Entry: ¹plan

Pronunciation: \ˈplan\

Function: noun

Etymology: French, plane, foundation, ground plan; partly from Latin planum level ground, from neuter of planus level; partly from French planter to plant, fix in place, from Late Latin plantare — more at floor, plant

Date: 1706

1 : a drawing or diagram drawn on a plane: as a : a top or horizontal view of an object b : a large-scale map of a small area
2 a : a method for achieving an end b : an often customary method of doing something : procedure c : a detailed formulation of a program of action d : goal, aim
3 : an orderly arrangement of parts of an overall design or objective
4 : a detailed program (as for payment or the provision of some service) <pension plan>

— plan·less \-ləs\ adjective

— plan·less·ly adverb

— plan·less·ness noun

synonyms plan, design, plot, scheme, project mean a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end. plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation <plans for a house>. design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony <a design for a new dress>. plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions <the plot of the play>. scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest <a scheme to defraud the government>. project often stresses imaginative scope and vision <a project to develop the waterfront>.