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
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 Web
Mikelle Street, Them., 14 May 2025
Both directors have shown a preference for character over plot, building stories around individuals who are filled with desires, fears, flaws and contradictions — individuals who tend to feel more like real people than movie characters.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 14 May 2025
The Keeling Curve, a graph that plots concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere over time, uses measurements taken at Mau Loa Observatory, starting in 1958.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for plot
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
From people on TikTok discussing the lavender marriages in their own families to the plot of the 2025 Wedding Banquet remake starring Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang, the ways that people have sought to survive broader societal homophobia are top of mind for many LGBTQ+ people today.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 14 May 2025
Both directors have shown a preference for character over plot, building stories around individuals who are filled with desires, fears, flaws and contradictions — individuals who tend to feel more like real people than movie characters.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Verb
Until his death in Pennsylvania last year, Gülen, a Turkish Muslim preacher who was accused of plotting a coup against President Recep Tayyip in 2016, was wanted as a terrorist leader in Turkey and Pakistan.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 14 May 2025
The Keeling Curve, a graph that plots concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere over time, uses measurements taken at Mau Loa Observatory, starting in 1958.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for plot
Cite this Entry
“Plot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plot. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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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