noun
scheme
skeem
noun
1
A plan for how to do something, especially an organized or official one.
"The council launched a new recycling scheme for the whole town."
"He signed up for the company's pension scheme."
2
A secret or dishonest plan intended to trick someone or gain an advantage.
"The whole thing turned out to be an elaborate scheme to steal investors' money."
verb
1
To plan something secretly or deviously.
"The two rivals were scheming to take over the family business."
How to Use Scheme
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA plan — can be neutral (like a pension scheme) or shady (like a scam).
UK vs US
British English uses "scheme" freely for official plans (e.g. "housing scheme"); American English tends to reserve it for dishonest plots and prefers "plan" or "program" for neutral ones.
Common pairings
pension scheme
pyramid scheme
scheme to defraud
color scheme
Word Forms
schemed past tense, schemes plural, schemes singular
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The council launched a new recycling _____ for the whole town.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin schēma ("figure, form"), from Greek skhēma, related to a word meaning "to hold". A doublet of "schema".