Vocabulary in context
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Machination
A secret, crafty plot or scheme designed to achieve (often harmful) ends; the act of devising such a plan.
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Imagine This
Imagine a dimly lit council chamber where a shadowy group quietly drafts a plan to place a puppet ruler on the throne. A ticking clock and folded diagrams lie on the table as their machination unfolds, each move carefully calculated to outwit the king and his advisors.
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Sounds Like
makh-ih-NAY-shun
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Looks Like
Looks like machine + ation, hinting at a contrived plan behind the surface
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Remember This
Machination often appears with plural form machinations, highlighting ongoing schemes rather than a single act. It conveys cunning and secrecy.
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Other Forms
machinateverb
machinatornoun
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Connect With
conspiracy, intrigue, scheme, plot, connivance
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Note
Do not confuse with mere manipulation or pressure; machination emphasizes a plotted, strategic scheme often involving multiple steps or players, typically with negative connotations.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The king suspected the advisor's machination to seize the throne.
- Historians debated the political machinations that led to the empire's collapse.
Synonyms
schemingplotconspiracyintrigueconnivance
Antonyms
candorhonestytransparency
Etymology
From Latin machinationem, from machina 'device, contrivance' (via French machination). The root refers to a clever device used to achieve an outcome.
Mnemonic
Think of a machine inside a nation: a hidden device plotting behind the scenes to take control — a mnemonic for machination = machine + nation plotting.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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