machination

noun

mach·​i·​na·​tion ˌma-kə-ˈnā-shən 

ˌma-shə-

1

: an act of machinating

2

: a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end

… backstage machinations and power plays that have dominated the film industry …

—Peter Bogdanovich

Synonyms of machination

• conspiracy
• scheme
• plot

Choose the Right Synonym for machination

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

Examples of machination in a Sentence

incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed

Recent Examples on the Web

Behind every trauma and calamity, whether personal or global, whispers of Jewish machination can be heard by those already listening for them. —Mike Rothschild, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026

For all of Erik Spoelstra’s lineup machinations, a constant from the Heat coach has been Mitchell as an every-game starter, something for the Heat that also only has been the case with Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2026

That stunted dynamic all puts the dramatic onus of the season on Jolyon’s and Louisa’s relationship, made impossible both by class and by Francis’s political machinations for her husband. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026

As the 2010s went on, the machinations of reality shows became repetitive and transparent. —Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for machination

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation