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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Unstructured data is information that does not follow a predetermined data model or schema. —Edward Walsh, Forbes, 1 June 2022

Combining this storage model with massively parallel processing (MPP) can supercharge AI and analytics capabilities by enabling DevOps teams to query data simultaneously without needing to create an index or use a schema. —Bernd Greifeneder, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022

Each node contains a description of a subject, predicate, object and other schema types. —Ehsan Jahandarpour, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023

The other way that animals cheat, in Sun’s schema, is by issuing false information, or, more plainly, by lying. —Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023

Places lifted right out of the horror film schema. —Lesley Finn, Longreads, 7 July 2022

The two most striking paintings are, within the confines of Lu’s standard schema, quite different. —Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2023

The parents’-rights movement reacts to this necessarily messy and unpredictable schema with fear and attempts at control: of curriculum, of reading material, of time spent with teachers and peers of diverse views and backgrounds, of even the possibility of exposure to Michelangelo’s David. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2023

The same data modeling approaches that have been used for decades to support efficient BI [business intelligence] and reporting applications can now be used to overlay a schema across different feature sets, which reduces duplication and increases the quality of the data. —Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2020

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Word History

Etymology

Greek schēmat-, schēma

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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