PLAN Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'plan' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plan are design , plot , project , and scheme . While all these words mean "a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end," plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation. // plans for a house

Q: When is 'design' a more appropriate choice than 'plan'?

While in some cases nearly identical to plan , design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony. // a design for a new dress

Q: When could 'plot' be used to replace 'plan'?

While the synonyms plot and plan are close in meaning, plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions. // the plot of the play

Q: When is it sensible to use 'project' instead of 'plan'?

In some situations, the words project and plan are roughly equivalent. However, project often stresses imaginative scope and vision. // a project to develop the waterfront

Q: Where would 'scheme' be a reasonable alternative to 'plan'?

The synonyms scheme and plan are sometimes interchangeable, but scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest. // a scheme to defraud the government

plan 1 of 2

noun

ˈplan

Definition of plan next

as in strategy

a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective there is a contingency plan in the office for handling almost any emergency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in goal

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish our plan is to finish up by next Friday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

plan

2 of 2

verb

as in to prepare

to work out the details of (something) in advance we planned the school dance down to the smallest detail

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to intend

to have in mind as a purpose or goal I plan to have a party for my birthday, even if I have to throw it myself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plan contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plan are design, plot, project, and scheme. While all these words mean "a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end," plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

When is design a more appropriate choice than plan?

While in some cases nearly identical to plan, design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

When could plot be used to replace plan?

While the synonyms plot and plan are close in meaning, plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

When is it sensible to use project instead of plan?

In some situations, the words project and plan are roughly equivalent. However, project often stresses imaginative scope and vision.

a project to develop the waterfront

Where would scheme be a reasonable alternative to plan?

The synonyms scheme and plan are sometimes interchangeable, but scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest.

a scheme to defraud the government

Examples of plan in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

First, showrunner Jac Schaeffer did not flat-out deny a season 2 was coming in recent interviews, despite that apparently being the original plan. —

Paul Tassi, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Having studied the chaotic aftermath of the 2020 election, both were now eying plans to disrupt each of the procedural steps between Election Day and the Inauguration, such as the December 11th deadline for each state to ascertain a winner, and the December 17th meeting of each state’s electors. —

The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024

Verb

The agency plans to monitor one city in St. Louis and eight counties in Texas. —

Ella Lee, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024 Kagoshima and Lee will overlap at the foundation through November, Lee plans to focus on developing more events at Hakone to represent Japanese and Japanese-American culture. —

Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plan

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plan

Noun

Fall prevention strategies and balance training are crucial and can help reduce the risk of fractures.

Jianying Zhang, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Avoiding boredom of sitting in the same spot day after day. Cons of Mobile Hunting the Rut As with all hunting strategies, mobile hunting during the rut does have some drawbacks as well.

Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024