plan

UK: /ˈplæn/ US: /plæn/ ,(plan)

Inflections of 'plan' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

plans

v 3rd person singular

planning

v pres p

planned

v past

planned

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

plan /plæn/   n., v., planned, plan•ning. 
n. [countable]

1. a way, idea, or method of acting, proceeding, etc., developed in advance:
   a battle plan.
2. a design or arrangement:
   a seating plan.
3. Building a drawing made to represent the top view or a side view of a structure or a machine, as a floor layout of a building.
4. an outline, diagram, or sketch:
   He drew a quick plan of the bank vault.
5. a program providing for specified benefits, etc.:
   a pension plan.

v. 

6. to put together a plan or scheme for:
   [~ + object] The city wants to plan a new park.
7. to make plans for: [~ + object]
   We had already planned our vacation for that week.
   [no object]
   It was time to plan for retirement.
8. Building [~ + object] to draw or make a plan of, as a building.
9. to have in mind as an intention: [~ + object]
   What are you planning for her retirement party?
   [~ + to + verb]
   I planned to be there on time.
   [~ + on + verb-ing]
   I hadn't planned on seeing you today.

plan•ner, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

plan  (plan), n., v., planned, plan•ning. 
n. 

1. a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance:
   battle plans.
2. a design or scheme of arrangement:
   an elaborate plan for seating guests.
3. a specific project or definite purpose:
   plans for the future.
4. Building Also called plan view. a drawing made to scale to represent the top view or a horizontal section of a structure or a machine, as a floor layout of a building.
5. a representation of a thing drawn on a plane, as a map or diagram:
   a plan of the dock area.
6. (in perspective drawing) one of several planes in front of a represented object, and perpendicular to the line between the object and the eye.
7. a formal program for specified benefits, needs, etc.:
   a pension plan.

v.t. 

8. to arrange a method or scheme beforehand for (any work, enterprise, or proceeding):
   to plan a new recreation center.
9. to make plans for:
   to plan one's vacation.
10. Building to draw or make a diagram or layout of, as a building.

v.i. 

11. to make plans:
    to plan ahead; to plan for one's retirement.

• French: ground, plan, groundwork, scheme, noun, nominal use of the adjective, adjectival: flat, plane¹, learned borrowing of Latin plānus level (compare plain¹)
• 1670–80

plan′less, adj. 
plan′less•ly, adv. 
plan′less•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. plot, formula, system.
  Plan, project, design, scheme imply a formulated method of doing something.
  Plan refers to any method of thinking out acts and purposes beforehand:
  What are your plans for today?
  A project is a proposed or tentative plan, often elaborate or extensive:
  an irrigation project.
  Design suggests art, dexterity, or craft (sometimes evil and selfish) in the elaboration or execution of a plan, and often tends to emphasize the purpose in view:
  a misunderstanding brought about by design.
  A scheme is apt to be either a speculative, possibly impracticable, plan, or a selfish or dishonest one:
  a scheme to swindle someone.
• 4. sketch, draft, diagram, chart.
• 8. design, devise, plot.

plan-, 

1. var. of plano- ¹ before a vowel:
   planate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

plan / plæn/ noun

1. a detailed scheme, method, etc, for attaining an objective
2. (sometimes plural) a proposed, usually tentative idea for doing something
3. a drawing to scale of a horizontal section through a building taken at a given level; a view from above an object or an area in orthographic projection
   Compare ground plan1, elevation5
4. an outline, sketch, etc

verb (plans, planning, planned)

1. to form a plan (for) or make plans (for)
2. (transitive) to make a plan of (a building)
3. (tr; takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to have in mind as a purpose; intend

Etymology: 18th Century: via French from Latin plānus flat; compare plane¹, plain¹

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pla•no  (plā′nō), adj. 

1. Ophthalmology pertaining to eyeglasses that do not contain a curvature for correcting vision defects:
   plano sunglasses.

• independent use of plano-¹ 1945–50

Pla•no  (plā′nō), n. 

1. Place Names a town in N Texas. 72,331.

plano-¹ ,

1. a combining form meaning "flat,'' "plane,'' used in the formation of compound words:
   planography.

Also, plani-;
 [esp. before a vowel,] plan-. 

• combining form representing Latin plānus level, plānum level ground

plano-² ,

1. a combining form meaning "moving,'' "capable of movement,'' used in the formation of compound words:
   planogamete.

• combining form representing Greek plános wandering, roaming. See planet