Meaning & use

Plotting

noun·Everyday

Last updated

The act of secretly planning something, especially something illegal or harmful; also, the act of marking points or a course on a chart or graph.

See it in a sentence

The generals were accused of plotting a coup against the government.

The engineer spent the afternoon plotting data points onto a graph.

A note on using this word

The word covers two quite different senses: secret planning, and the technical act of marking positions or values, such as on a map or graph.

Words with a similar meaning

schemingconspiring

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

The structuring of events and story elements in a narrative work.

The novel's plotting kept readers guessing until the final chapter.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “Plotting”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.