machination

noun

mach·​i·​na·​tion ˌma-kə-ˈnā-shən 

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 and power plays that have dominated the film industry …

—Peter Bogdanovich

Synonyms of machination

• conspiracy
• scheme
• plot

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

Across two seasons packed with twisty machinations, Jung’s virtuous prosecutor Jang Geon-young attempted to pin down Hyun’s shamelessly corrupt — but effortlessly cool — intelligence officer Baek Ki-tae, only to be outfoxed at every turn. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026

That merger reduced the club’s holding in Barca Produccions and turned it into a subsidiary, though the year just past saw more share machinations. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The sequel has none of the joy of the original, only the calculated machinations of studio executives and actors who won’t let their characters grow. — Britina Cheng, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Understanding the machinations of the current administration and predicting its plans is too tall an order. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English machynacion, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin māchinātiōn-, māchinātiō "making of a machine, piece of machinery, mechanism," from māchinārī "to invent, devise, contrive" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at machinate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for machination

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation