plan

A1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /plæn/ UK /plæn/ See IPA manual

Freq #549

Meanings

1

noun
A set of decisions about what you are going to do and how to do it.

They drew up a plan to expand the business.
2

verb
To decide on and arrange in advance what you are going to do.

I am planning a trip with my family.
3

verb
To intend to do something.

They plan to be in graduate school next year.
4

noun
A detailed drawing of a building, machine, or area as seen from above.

The plans for City Hall were on file.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a set of decisions about... scheme blueprint strategy

4 noun · a detailed drawing of a... blueprint diagramfloor plan

Word family

Forms plannedplans

Derived forms battleplanbayplancounterplanflatplanforeplanground-plangroundplanmasterplanmegaplanmisplannewsplannonplan

Appears in

Phrases (13)

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make a plan
to devise a strategy or scheme for achieving something

Verb + noun
follow a plan
to act in accordance with a set strategy

Verb + noun
plan a trip
to organise and prepare the details of a journey in advance

Verb + noun
plan a weekend
to organise or arrange activities for a weekend in advance

Verb + noun
plan an escape
organize the details of getting away from captivity or danger

Verb + noun
plan the day
to organize what you will do during the day

Verb + noun

Idioms (1)

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poison pill
Matching variant: shareholder rights plan

a defensive tactic a company uses to make a hostile takeover unattractive

Proverbs (5)

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Simplified etymology

Etymology

Borrowed from French plan (“flat surface, ground plot, map”), from Latin plānus. Some sources also argue for influence or alteration of French plant, from plantar, from Latin plantāre (“set, fix in place”). Compare plane, plain.

plānus Latin plant French plantāre Latin

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Topics

Actions & Processes

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# plan

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /plæn/
**IPA (UK):** /plæn/
**Frequency rank:** 549

## Meanings
1. A set of decisions about what you are going to do and how to do it.
2. To decide on and arrange in advance what you are going to do.
3. To intend to do something.
4. A detailed drawing of a building, machine, or area as seen from above.

## Examples
- They drew up a plan to expand the business.
- I am planning a trip with my family.
- They plan to be in graduate school next year.
- The plans for City Hall were on file.

## Synonyms
- blueprint

## Derived Forms
- battleplan
- bayplan
- counterplan
- flatplan
- foreplan
- ground-plan
- groundplan
- masterplan
- megaplan
- misplan
- newsplan
- nonplan

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: plānus
- Root: plant
- Root: plantāre

## Etymology
Borrowed from French plan (“flat surface, ground plot, map”), from Latin plānus. Some sources also argue for influence or alteration of French plant, from plantar, from Latin plantāre (“set, fix in place”). Compare plane, plain.

## AI Etymology
Plan was borrowed from French plan (“flat surface, ground plot, map”), from Latin plānus. Another explanation argues for influence or alteration of French plant, from plantar, from Latin plantāre (“set, fix in place”). Compare plane, plain. In present-day English it covers a set of decisions about what you are going to do and how to do it, to decide on and arrange in advance what you are going to do, and to intend to do something. The wider family includes derived forms such as battleplan, bayplan, counterplan, flatplan, foreplan.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown

plan

Meanings

Verb forms

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (13)

Idioms (1)

Proverbs (5)

Simplified etymology

Etymology

Topics

External links

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