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plan

PLAN/plæn/

Pluralplans

Verbplans, planning, planned

7 meanings of plan

Practice

  1. 1
    course of actionnouncountable
    An idea of what you will do and how you will do it, worked out before you start.

    Like a list of steps that leads you to where you want to go.

    We made a plan to save money for the trip.

    Their plan worked, and they finished the project early.

    UsageYou make a plan. Plans can also mean what you will do: any plans tonight?

    Similarscheme, strategy, program

    Note
  2. 2
    verbtransitive
    To work out the steps for something before doing it.

    They plan every detail of the trip in advance.

    She is planning her wedding carefully.

    UsageYou plan a trip. Plan ahead means decide what to do before you need to do it.

    Similarorganize, arrange, prepare, schedule, devise

  3. 3
    intendverbintransitive
    To mean to do something later.

    We plan to leave early tomorrow.

    She plans to visit her grandmother next week.

    UsageSay plan to go or plan on going.

    Similarintend, aim, mean, propose, expect

    Note
  4. 4
    subscriptionnouncountable
    An arrangement that lets you use a service, usually for a regular payment.

    Like a membership you pay for to keep using something.

    Our phone plan includes unlimited calls.

    She switched to a cheaper plan last month.

    Similarpackage, subscription, tariff, contract

  5. 5
    drawing from abovenouncountable
    A drawing that shows how a building or machine is laid out, usually as seen from above.

    Like looking down at a dollhouse with the roof taken off.

    The architect showed us the plan for the ground floor.

    We studied the plan to see where the kitchen would go.

    Similarblueprint, layout, diagram, drawing

    Note
  6. 6
    nouncountable
    A set way to save or invest money, or to hand out money or rewards, such as a retirement plan.

    My job has a good retirement plan, so I save a little from every paycheck.

    Her company's bonus plan gives workers extra pay when sales go up.

    UsageYou join a plan or pay into it. In Britain people often say pension scheme.

    Similarscheme, program

Less common meaning

  1. 7
    designverbtransitive
    To design something like a building or machine.

    The architect planned the house with big windows facing the sea.

    Engineers plan bridges to handle heavy loads.

    Similardesign

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of plan apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from French plan, meaning a building's ground plan. This came from a word meaning "flat," from Latin planus ("flat").

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts