1
2
: ground plan, plat
3
: the plan or main story (as of a movie or literary work)
4
[perhaps back-formation from complot]
: a secret plan for accomplishing a usually evil or unlawful end : intrigue
5
: a graphic representation (such as a chart)
plotlessness
noun
plotted; plotting
1
a
: to make a plot, map, or plan of
b
: to mark or note on or as if on a map or chart
2
: to lay out in plots (see plot entry 1 sense 1)
3
a
: to locate (a point) by means of coordinates
b
: to locate (a curve) by plotted points
c
: to represent (an equation) by means of a curve so constructed
4
: to plan or contrive especially secretly
5
: to invent or devise the plot of (something, such as a movie or a literary work)
1
: to form a plot : scheme
2
: to be located by means of coordinates
the data plot at a single point
Synonyms
Examples of plot in a Sentence
Noun
Her books are page-turners, and yet there is more going on in them than just the mechanics of a clever plot …
—
Robin McKinley, New York Times Book Review, 17 May 1987
… as he stood before the great dripping department store which now occupied the big plot of ground where once had stood both the Amberson Hotel and the Amberson Opera House.
—Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons, 1918
When I returned with the pistol the table had been cleared, and Holmes was engaged in his favourite occupation of scraping upon his violin. "The plot thickens," he said, as I entered …
—Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887
The plots are selling for $15,000 per acre.
They just bought a 12-acre plot of land.
The book's plot revolves around a woman who is searching for her missing sister.
The movie has a weak plot.
Police uncovered a plot to assassinate the prime minister.
The prime minister was the target of an assassination plot.
Verb
While men plotted wars or devised philosophies, women were confined within their homes …
—Barbara Ehrenreich, Ms., Winter 2007
Would-be nation builders plotted Italy's unification from the south and the north.
—David Van Biema, Time, 4 Sept. 2000
They plotted to steal the painting.
She spent her years in prison plotting her revenge.
We've been plotting growth strategies for the company.
She carefully plotted her career path.
They've plotted the locations where the trees will be planted.
Have you plotted the route for your trip yet?
Students plotted soil temperatures on a graph throughout the school year.
Robin McKinley, New York Times Book Review, 17 May 1987
… as he stood before the great dripping department store which now occupied the big plot of ground where once had stood both the Amberson Hotel and the Amberson Opera House.
—Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons, 1918
When I returned with the pistol the table had been cleared, and Holmes was engaged in his favourite occupation of scraping upon his violin. "The plot thickens," he said, as I entered …
—Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887
The plots are selling for $15,000 per acre.
They just bought a 12-acre plot of land.
The book's plot revolves around a woman who is searching for her missing sister.
The movie has a weak plot.
Police uncovered a plot to assassinate the prime minister.
The prime minister was the target of an assassination plot.
Verb
While men plotted wars or devised philosophies, women were confined within their homes …
—Barbara Ehrenreich, Ms., Winter 2007
Would-be nation builders plotted Italy's unification from the south and the north.
—David Van Biema, Time, 4 Sept. 2000
They plotted to steal the painting.
She spent her years in prison plotting her revenge.
We've been plotting growth strategies for the company.
She carefully plotted her career path.
They've plotted the locations where the trees will be planted.
Have you plotted the route for your trip yet?
Students plotted soil temperatures on a graph throughout the school year.
Recent Examples on the WebStephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2024
The atmosphere sounds funereal, likely adding to the tension of the plot.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
In March 2024, while speaking with The Wrap, Lyle shared some of the first details around the show’s third season while keeping much of the plot under wraps.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
The prominence and popularity of Mr. Rageh’s shows depends in part on their use of simple plots and relatable characters.
—Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Taub’s snappy dialogue whips the plot along, while the musical numbers are rife with lyrics that covertly satirize contemporary tropes and tribulations.
—Luna Adler, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
The vast plot points and storylines muddle the central message of the show instead of fortifying it.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
The plot of land that made up Section 14 belonged to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, but was held in trust by the federal government.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
What is the plot of 'Sting?' Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is a girl living in an apartment complex with her mom, stepdad and new baby brother.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Erik Morse, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Again, adding two receiver prospects seems to be an ideal strategy, so the Panthers could plot out a pick for the immediate need and another for the future in theory.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2024
South Africa, Bordeaux and Georgia in Eastern Europe are currently being plotted for 2025.
—Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
According to officials, Figueroa had been plotting to get a newborn for months, AP reported.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
In testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March 2023, Vargas-Andrews said the Marines and others involved in the evacuation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack.
—Courtney Kube, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
One way to do that is to plot the relationship between frequency and wavenumber—the number of wave cycles that fit within one unit cell of the crystal’s lattice.
—Susumu Noda, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
On Thursday afternoon, the owner and manager were busy plotting business strategies for the upcoming A’s era as sporting events played out overhead across numerous television screens.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Trump is keeping that discontent at the fore, and college leaders are having to reckon with the real possibility of a second Trump term and plot their politics accordingly.
Make sense of what matters in Washington.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
Imagine a chef’s kiss emoji as tall as the Burj Khalifa, and that’s the third-act plot twist.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2024
The atmosphere sounds funereal, likely adding to the tension of the plot.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
In March 2024, while speaking with The Wrap, Lyle shared some of the first details around the show’s third season while keeping much of the plot under wraps.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024
The prominence and popularity of Mr. Rageh’s shows depends in part on their use of simple plots and relatable characters.
—Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Taub’s snappy dialogue whips the plot along, while the musical numbers are rife with lyrics that covertly satirize contemporary tropes and tribulations.
—Luna Adler, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
The vast plot points and storylines muddle the central message of the show instead of fortifying it.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
The plot of land that made up Section 14 belonged to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, but was held in trust by the federal government.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
What is the plot of 'Sting?' Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is a girl living in an apartment complex with her mom, stepdad and new baby brother.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Verb
These movies are not simply the biggest-budgeted or most outrageously plotted, but rather works that encapsulate an impulse within the decade to unveil unseen worlds—of the inner and outer varieties—or to explore new emotional territories where the camera had yet to traverse.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Again, adding two receiver prospects seems to be an ideal strategy, so the Panthers could plot out a pick for the immediate need and another for the future in theory.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2024
South Africa, Bordeaux and Georgia in Eastern Europe are currently being plotted for 2025.
—Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
According to officials, Figueroa had been plotting to get a newborn for months, AP reported.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
In testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March 2023, Vargas-Andrews said the Marines and others involved in the evacuation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack.
—Courtney Kube, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
One way to do that is to plot the relationship between frequency and wavenumber—the number of wave cycles that fit within one unit cell of the crystal’s lattice.
—Susumu Noda, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
On Thursday afternoon, the owner and manager were busy plotting business strategies for the upcoming A’s era as sporting events played out overhead across numerous television screens.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Trump is keeping that discontent at the fore, and college leaders are having to reckon with the real possibility of a second Trump term and plot their politics accordingly.
Make sense of what matters in Washington.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near plot
Cite this Entry
“Plot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plot. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plot
1 of 2 noun1
: a small area of ground : lot
a cemetery plot
2
: a plan of a floor of a building
3
: the main story (as of a literary work or movie)
4
: an evil or unlawful scheme
5
plot
2 of 2 verb
plotted; plotting
1
a
: to make a plot, map, or plan of
b
: to mark, note, or locate on a map or chart
plot a ship's position
2
: to plan especially secretly : scheme
3
a
: to locate and mark (a point) by means of coordinates
b
: to make (a curve) by marking out a number of plotted points
plotter
noun
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