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 There was talk of schema files, virtual environments, plug-ins, hex editing, and other technical arcana. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 The past 12 months have provided people with a whole new schema of aesthetic nomenclature, each foodstuff connected to some kind of inherent moral quality. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2023 Under the schema of motivated reasoning, even the weakest information propping up a belief becomes amplified, while strong disconfirming evidence is dismissed. David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023 This schema tends to develop from childhoods where parents often kept secrets and lied. Alex Wagner, SPIN, 26 May 2023 Some of those were licensing deals with Mattel and some are brands that made their own decisions to be part of the color schema of the movie. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 July 2023 In their schema, classic conspiracism’s evidentiary basis (picture dozens of JFK assassination aficionados poring over photographs of the grassy knoll) has been abandoned in favor of pure affect; hypotheses and suppositions gain purchase through repetition, not proof. Astra Taylor, The New Republic, 6 May 2021 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

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 29 Mar. 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

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