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to plan

to plan

1.0
To decide and arrange in advance how to do something
  • verb
  • /plæn/
translation icon : planificar
  • It's important to plan your study schedule ahead of the exam.
  • plan ahead
  • plan and implement
  • plan and organize

Do what you can do to plan these events well.

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Examples

  • Successful people plan their day the night before.

  • And NATO is saying that they plan to fast track the process.

  • And that is exactly what we plan to build today.

  • Sarah used to always try and plan a route that worked.

  • Well, I should probably be planning some more group activities for tomorrow.

  • We are aware of the changes and have been planning for them for some time.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And before I die, I plan to write a novel in it.

  • What we aren't able to do now, we should be planning to do in the future.

    Academic text (2011)
  • As always, think about how you plan to share this information with your fellow educators.

    Academic text (2011)
  • But we understand you're planning to move to Philadelphia.

Synonyms

to mean
vsto plan
1.6

Intend to talk about someone or something

is about planning concrete actions rather than just intending them
to design
vsto plan
2.6

To plan and make something so it looks and works as needed

is more general, covering any prior decision or arrangement
to intend
vsto plan
2.4

Plan to do something in the future

involves making concrete arrangements and decisions beforehand
to arrange
vsto plan
814 2.0

To plan and organize something so it can happen

is broader, including decisions and aims beyond organization
to schedule
vsto plan
789 3.0

To arrange something to happen at a certain time

focuses on making plans beyond assigning exact times
to aim
vsto plan
234 1.0

To plan to do something to reach a goal

focuses more on arranging steps and choices to reach goals
to propose
vsto plan
176 3.7

To plan to do something

involves actual arranging and decision making rather than stating intent
to project
vsto plan
142 3.4

To estimate what will happen in the future

focuses more on arranging practical steps rather than imagining outcomes
to program
vsto plan
  • US
53 3.1

To plan the times and order of events

covers planning overall rather than only ordering events
to premeditate
vsto plan
  • Formal
39 8.1

To think about and plan something before doing it, often a harmful act

is neutral and lacks implication of harm or wrongdoing
to map out
vsto plan
  • Informal
34 3.7

Plan something carefully in detail before doing it

is broader, covering general arrangements rather than fine detail
to strategize
vsto plan
28 5.7

To plan the best way to reach a goal

is general planning not limited to strategic methods
to contrive
vsto plan
13 7.3

To invent a clever plan or excuse

is broader and may lack the inventive cleverness implied here
to hatch a plan
vsto plan
12 3.6

To make a secret or careful plan to do something

is general planning without secrecy or sly nuance
to prearrange
vsto plan
8 4.1

To plan something ahead of time

is the general act of deciding or arranging in advance
to preplan
vsto plan
1 4.3

To decide what to do before something happens

is the broad act of arranging or deciding in advance
to predesign
vsto plan
  • Specialized
1 6.3

To make an early plan or drawing before the main work begins

is broader and not limited to preliminary sketches or drafts
to preconcert
vsto plan
8.4

Plan something together in advance

does not require prior group agreement and is more general

Idioms

6 5.6

A phrase people say to agree with a plan

Plans often change when they face real problems

A sudden problem that stops plans from happening

Phrasal Verbs

To happen as expected

Continue doing what everyone agreed without changing it

To make a secret or careful plan to do something

Cause a plan to fail or stop moving forward

To do something different from the plan

1 4.4

To think of a clever or secret plan to do something

To make a plan by joining different ideas and parts

Compounds

71 3.7

A set of actions that helps a team or person reach a goal

48 4.0

A long guide for how to develop and manage a city or campus over many years

27 3.1

Money that an employer or worker saves regularly to give income after you stop working

A set of savings and investments that gives you money after you stop working

21 3.2

A drawing that shows where the rooms are on one level of a building

13 4.3

A plan people keep secret to do something wrong

A clear set of steps to reach a goal

battle plan
  • Specialized
12 3.6

A plan for fighting that shows who will do what, where, and when

A set of planned actions to solve a problem or reach a goal

10 2.1

A schedule for a trip that shows where and when to go

401(k) plan
  • Specialized
10 3.5

A US retirement plan where workers save part of pay before tax and employers often add money, taxed when taken

A United States program that gave money to rebuild Western Europe after World War II

treatment plan
  • Specialized
7 3.5

A list of medical steps and tests doctors use to help a patient get better

4 3.2

A way to pay by making small payments over time

3 2.9

An arrangement where a hotel includes meals each day with the room price

A large plan to give money and help to rebuild a country, like the US plan after World War II

best-laid plan
  • Informal
1 5.4

A careful plan that can still fail

1 5.0

A clever way to trick someone to get what you want

architectural plan
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A detailed drawing that shows the size, design, and layout of a building

1 4.1

A room with few dividing walls that makes one big space

Money you regularly save to use after you stop working

bulletproof plan
  • Informal
1 3.9

A very secure plan that is not likely to fail

1 4.3

A program that lets employees buy or get shares in their company to become part owners

1 5.6

A room price that includes three meals a day

ground plan
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A drawing that shows the rooms on the ground floor of a building

Keogh plan
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A retirement savings plan for self-employed people that delays tax until you take the money out

stock purchase plan
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A plan that lets employees buy shares in their company, often at a lower price

A hotel rate that includes a full breakfast each day

A plan that has worked well in difficult real situations

9.0

A plan that uses buses to replace trains for a short time during track work

7.4

A small elected group that runs a city government, each member managing one department

A hotel rate that includes a simple breakfast each morning but not other meals

A program from an employer that lets workers save part of their pay for retirement or other future needs

bang-up plan
  • Informal
6.5

A very good plan that impresses people

A hotel price that covers only the room and not meals

McAmnesty plan
  • Literature
9.9

A proposed United States immigration law linked to John McCain that critics say forgives people living without legal papers

A hotel rate that includes breakfast and dinner but not lunch

A hotel offer that includes a room and some meals

retirement plan
  • Specialized
3.6

A plan to take equipment or software out of use and remove it safely

9.9

A government plan to help the economy that wastes a lot of money

5.3

A way to buy something by paying small amounts regularly

How Detailed

to orchestrate
101 7.1
to strategize
28 5.7
to plan
1.0

Surface Forms

plan infinitive
planned past
planned past participle
planning present participle
plans third person singular

Etymology

Plan comes from the Latin word planus, meaning 'flat', and was first the name for a drawing on paper. From that noun came the verb plan, which means to make decisions or prepare the steps you will follow in advance.