Word: machinations (noun, plural)

Associations

"Machinations" means secret or clever plans, usually to do something bad or tricky. It often has a negative feeling, like people are planning something sneaky or dishonest.

• In a story, "The villain’s machinations caused problems for the hero." Here, it means the bad plans the villain made.
• In politics, "The politician’s machinations led to a scandal." This means secret plans to gain power or advantage.
• In everyday life, "She was tired of his machinations to avoid work." This means tricky plans someone uses to not do their job.

A similar word is "schemes," but "machinations" often sounds more serious or secretive, while "schemes" can be lighter or even playful sometimes.

Substitution

You can replace "machinations" with:

• schemes (plans, often bad)
• plots (secret plans, usually bad)
• intrigues (secret plans, often in politics or courts)

Each word changes the feeling a little: "machinations" sounds more serious and secretive than "schemes."

Deconstruction

"Machinations" comes from the Latin word "machinari," meaning "to devise or plot." The root "machin-" relates to a machine or device, but here it means a clever or complex plan. The suffix "-ations" turns the verb into a noun meaning the act or process of making plans.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when someone made secret plans that affected you or others?
• How would you describe someone's "machinations" if they were trying to help, not harm?
• Are there situations where "machinations" might be used in a positive way, or is it always negative? Why?