schema

noun

sche·​ma ˈskē-mə How to pronounce schema (audio)
plural schemata ˈskē-mə-tə How to pronounce schema (audio) 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 As mentioned above, businesses employing direct database access—some of them for many years—have struggled with a few issues, including: • Business users with direct connections to a database must understand table relationships, computations and database schema. Artyom Keydunov, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 There was no existing schema for someone like Harris. Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 20 July 2024 What’s behind this penchant for Black women to perpetrate superwoman schema and put themselves last, to their mental detriment? Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 19 July 2024 There isn’t enough flash, enough excess, enough room for imperfection, for details that don’t fit into the schema. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for schema 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'schema.' 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

Greek schēmat-, schēma

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of schema was circa 1890

Dictionary Entries Near schema

Cite this Entry

“Schema.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schema. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

schema

noun
sche·​ma ˈskē-mə How to pronounce schema (audio)
plural schemata -mət-ə How to pronounce schema (audio) 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

More from Merriam-Webster on schema

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