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plot

plot

215 2.5
The sequence of events that make up the main story
  • noun
  • /plɑt/
translation icon : trama
  • I believe that's the plot of The Wizard of Oz.
  • characters and plot
  • the plot thickens
  • plot line

Should death serve the plot or the themes or both?

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Examples

  • I had a good handle on the plot of that first novel.

    Academic text (2008)
  • They come for the plot, they stay for the character.

  • Now I want to improve this plot in general.

  • That changes the whole plot there, that little detail.

  • Over the next few weeks, a plot started to take shape.

  • Should death serve the plot or the themes or both?

  • All of my subsequent research, character, and plot development grew out of this notion.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Every line, every word, should serve a purpose related to plot, conflict, or revelation of character.

    Academic text (2008)
  • As in any good genre fiction, the plot must serve up problems the h/h must overcome.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The plot of the movie kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Synonyms

story
vsplot
1.0

An account of events told to entertain or inform

focuses on the underlying ordered events that form the main dramatic structure
action
vsplot
888 1.8

The main activity happening in a place or story

focuses on the ordered sequence that shapes the central narrative rather than isolated events
narrative
vsplot
336 3.9

A story that describes connected events

refers to the bare sequence of events that makes up the main story instead
storyline
vsplot
107 2.8

A series of events in a book, film, or play that form the main plot

is the general word for the ordered sequence of events forming the main narrative
scenario
vsplot
53 5.1

A short outline of a play or film showing its main events

describes the actual ordered events composing the main story rather than an outline
plotline
vsplot
9 3.5

A series of events in a story, like in a book or film

refers specifically to the complete main event sequence rather than a part
plot line
vsplot
4 3.2

The main story of a book, film, or play

is the same meaning but is the single-word general label not the two-word phrase
fabula
vsplot
  • Jargon
9.9

The events of a story in the order they happened

focuses on the event sequence that composes the main story not necessarily chronological

Antonyms

438 3.1

A situation with no order where people are confused and cannot act normally

Idioms

A situation that gets more complicated or interesting because of new information

all for the plot
  • Literature
9.3

Events that happen mainly to move the story forward, even if they do not make sense

Compounds

11 3.0

A small piece of ground for growing plants or building on

4 3.2

The main story of a book, film, or play

1 3.7

A part of a story that helps the action move forward

1 2.3

A small piece of land used for growing plants

A failed 1605 plan to blow up Parliament and kill the king, led by Guy Fawkes

plot armor
  • Jargon
9.1

A story idea that keeps a character safe for no real reason

plot element
  • Specialized
3.4

A shape, line, or label on a chart that shows data

plot line
  • Specialized
3.5

The line on a graph that shows how a number changes over time

How Long

saga
  • Literature
84 6.4
plot
215 2.5
episode
339 2.8
scene
1.9
incident
2.7

Surface Forms

plot singular
plots plural

Etymology

Plot also came to mean a 'plan' or 'scheme', and writers borrowed that idea for stories. So the plot of a book is the planned sequence of events that makes the story work.