schema

noun

sche·​ma ˈskē-mə 

plural schemata ˈskē-mə-tə  also schemas

1

: a diagrammatic presentation

broadly : a structured framework or plan : outline

2

: a mental codification of experience that includes a particular organized way of perceiving cognitively and responding to a complex situation or set of stimuli

Examples of schema in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Build capabilities for generative engine optimization (GEO) with structured facts, schema markup, comparison tables, FAQs, and fresh customer data feeds. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025

These narrow, often negative or humorous stereotypes have helped to set the visual schema for rural life, governing popular representations of individuals, families, and relationships in these communities. —William Jones, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

However, by creating sharp boundaries, the schema obscured the subtleties of what happened between them. —Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025

That there is something in the self that will not fit a schema, that will not be laid bare. —Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek schēmat-, schēma

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for schema

• cima
• pima
• prima
• rima
• sema
• sima
• thema
• edema
• extrema
• ulema
• emphysema
• empyema

Medical Definition

schema

noun

sche·​ma ˈskē-mə 

plural schemata -mət-ə  also schemas

1

: a nonconscious adjustment of the brain to the afferent impulses indicative of bodily posture that is a prerequisite of appropriate bodily movement and of spatial perception

2

: the organization of experience in the mind or brain that includes a particular organized way of perceiving cognitively and responding to a complex situation or set of stimuli