plot

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a small area of planted ground
a vegetable plot
b
: a small piece of land in a cemetery
c
: a measured piece of land : lot
2
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)
plotless adjective
plotlessness noun

plot

2 of 2

verb

plotted; plotting

transitive verb

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)

intransitive verb

1
: to form a plot : scheme
2
: to be located by means of coordinates
the data plot at a single point
Choose the Right Synonym for plot

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

synonyms see in addition plan

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The movie shows her involvement with a plot to bomb a café and her trial for the act. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024 But before farmers can trade the tobacco crop for a medical marijuana plot, the state must issue licenses to all business players who plan to enter the industry. Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 18 Mar. 2024 While the plot is currently under wraps, the project is being teased as a deep dive into the world of coaching and follows the rise of a personal development guru who turns out to be toxic. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 When songs provide so little information, barely differentiating the characters let alone advancing the plot, a musical tends to sag. Jesse Green, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Workplace romances run rampant, including Bradley’s ongoing will-they-or-won’t-they with network exec Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup), while plots feel ripped from the tabloids. TIME, 14 Mar. 2024 The battle dates back to May 2022, when the Livermore City Council agreed to sell a plot of land in the city’s downtown to Eden Housing. Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Jackie is at the gym to prepare for a bodybuilding competition, but she’s drawn into a sordid plot involving Lou’s estranged family, a web of ghastly and sometimes homicidal misfits. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 Sometimes, in fact, the pictures undermine the plot. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
Trump’s Immunity Claim: The justices agreed to decide whether Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 To see more about the package and plot out your next friends or family vacation, head to bluediamondresorts.com. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024 Jihan, who arrived in the camp in 2018, spent years plotting escape. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 How one man’s experience helped shape the movie For Mamadou Kouassi, the exploits depicted in the film aren’t just plot twists in a movie. Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 The former chief executive of Verve has sued the talent agency for breach of contract, alleging that his co-founders wrongfully plotted his termination. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Hardisty, a former friend of Silva, testified that the Hells Angels plotted to murder Silva due to his increasingly erratic behavior, culminating with him allegedly threatening a high-ranking club member during a motorcycle rally in New England. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 While in custody O’Connor has been beaten by other inmates, hospitalized with an infection and accused of plotting a jailhouse drug-dealing caper. John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 The league is shaking up NFL Network’s morning football talk show, Good Morning Football, moving production from New York to Los Angeles, and plotting a two-hour extension of the series, which will be sold in syndication. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1588, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of plot was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near plot

Cite this Entry

“Plot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plot. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

plot

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on plot

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