machination

noun

mach·​i·​na·​tion ˌma-kə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce machination (audio)
ˌma-shə-
1
: an act of machinating
2
: a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end
backstage machinations … that have dominated the film industryPeter Bogdanovich
Choose the Right Synonym for machination

plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end.

plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme.

an assassination plot

intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity.

backstairs intrigue

machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means.

the machinations of a party boss

conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery.

a conspiracy to fix prices

cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence.

a cabal among powerful senators

Examples of machination in a Sentence

incredibly complicated machinations to assassinate the president that inevitably failed
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And yet, solo developer Billy Basso managed to stuff his adventure with layers and layers of clockwork machinations — hundreds of riddles, pleated together across a diorama that isn’t large, but is certainly deep. Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025 Now trapped inside the car and communicating through the car's speaker system, Eddie has to reckon with the devious machinations of William and whatever chaos he's got planned. Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025 Others would exhort that the end result is what counts, not how the inner machinations work. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 His determination to forge a path toward justice within a treacherous landscape of political machinations and gang warfare forms the narrative backbone of the show. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for machination

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of machination was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Machination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machination. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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