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Glite Dictionary
for the plot's sake

for the plot's sake

8.4
To change something to help the story be more exciting
  • idiom
  • Literature
translation icon : por el bien de la trama
  • The author changed the character's background for the plot's sake, making the story more engaging.

Examples

  • Some scenes in the movie felt unnatural, as if they were there for the plot's sake rather than logic.

  • He introduced a dramatic twist for the plot's sake, keeping the audience guessing until the end.

  • It's done for the plot's sake!

  • The character made a foolish decision for the plot's sake.

  • He introduced a dramatic twist for the plot's sake, keeping the audience guessing until the end.

  • Some scenes in the movie felt unnatural, as if they were there for the plot's sake rather than logic.

  • The author changed the character's background for the plot's sake, making the story more engaging.

Synonyms

for the sake of
vsfor the plot's sake
248 3.3

To help someone or something

is narrower and used to advance the narrative rather than real reasons

Surface Forms

for the plot's sake positive

Morphology

for + the + plot's + sake

The meaning is compositionally derived from 'for' (indicating purpose) + 'plot's' (the plot) + 'sake' (for the purpose/benefit of), following the common English pattern 'for the X's sake'. This is a regular purposive construction found across languages and in English is directly interpretable by learners who know the constituent meanings.

Etymology

The phrase for the plot's sake paints the picture of a writer moving a character like a piece on a board so the plot works. That's why it means doing something simply 'to help the story' rather than because it is real.