Meaning & use
machination
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Meaning
nounusually pluraldisapproving
A secret, clever scheme made to gain power or advantage, usually at someone else's expense.
Grammar: Almost always machinations: the machinations of his rivals. The singular is rare and sounds very formal.
Patterns
- the machinations of someone
- political machinations
- machinations against someone
The novel follows the political machinations of the royal court.
She suspected her colleague's machinations had cost her the promotion.
Behind the cheerful smile lay years of quiet machination.
Word forms
| plural | machinations |
|---|
Common combinations
- political machinations
- Political machinations kept the bill from reaching a vote.
- the machinations of
- He was a victim of the machinations of his own advisers.
- behind the machinations
- Nobody knew who was behind the machinations at the firm.
- evil machinations
- The villain's evil machinations nearly destroyed the kingdom.
- fall victim to machinations
- The young heir fell victim to the machinations of his uncle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scheme
- Scheme is a common word that can be neutral or negative, while machination is always negative and suggests secrecy.
- intrigue
- Intrigue stresses secret plotting within a group, especially in politics or court life, rather than the plan itself.
- plot
- Plot is plainer and may mean a single specific plan, often to commit a crime, while machinations suggests a web of clever manipulation.
- manipulation
- Manipulation describes controlling people or events, but it need not involve a detailed secret plan.
Opposites
Word family
- machinate verb
- to plot or scheme secretly
- machinator noun
- a person who plots
- machine noun
- a device; shares the Latin root meaning contrivance
Commonly confused: machination or machine?
machination vs machine
The words share a root, but a machination is a secret scheme, not a device, and is pronounced with a k sound at the start.
Practice
The prime minister's rivals spent months in secret ___ to remove him from office.
Choose one answer.
Machinations are secret, scheming plans, which suits the plot to oust him. Negotiations are usually open and not necessarily harmful, so they fit less well.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “machination”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.