1
a
: a small area of planted ground
a vegetable plot
b
: a small piece of land in a cemetery
c
: a measured piece of land : lot
2
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

transitive verb

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)

intransitive verb

1
: to form a plot : scheme
2
: to be located by means of coordinates
the data plot at a single point
Choose the Right Synonym for plot

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

synonyms see in addition plan

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Below is a plot of the average seed of the teams which made the conference tournament semifinals compared with the number of teams a conference has in this year’s Frozen Four. Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Perhaps the plot’s super-brisk pacing can be attributed to the narrowness of its scope. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
Less than a month into the job, Trump and the Japanese Prime Minister plotted their response to a North Korean missile launch in the open-air patio of Mar a Lago, photos of which ended up on Facebook. Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 2025 During his trial at the Constitutional Court last month, Han denied plotting martial law with Yoon. Gawon Bae, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for plot

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1588, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of plot was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plot. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on plot

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