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

Extracting language from a document is one thing; reasoning and interacting with a specialist in a finance context, with its unique methodologies and schemas, is another. —Dr. Vinay Nair, Founder and Ceo Of Tifin, CNBC, 10 June 2025

Building Automated Data Pipelines Dev AI agents that are specialized in extract, transform and load (ETL) can generate the scripts and manage data transformations using intelligent schema detection to ensure accuracy and consistency across data pipelines. —Ugandhar Dasi, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

Even in the early stages, schema drift, data quality issues and compliance gaps can erode confidence in your data. —Sonam Kanungo, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

And so Mary’s virgin status may have been added in Matthew, and later Luke, not to emphasize her purity, but to strengthen the authority of the Christ figure within the Judeo-Christian schema. —Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 6 May 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