schema

noun

sche·​ma ˈskē-mə How to pronounce schema (audio)
plural schemata ˈskē-mə-tə How to pronounce schema (audio) also schemas
1
: a diagrammatic presentation
broadly : a structured framework or plan : outline
2
: a mental codification of experience that includes a particular organized way of perceiving cognitively and responding to a complex situation or set of stimuli

Examples of schema in a Sentence

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.
Structuring this with clean schema, FAQs and listicles ensures both AI summaries and real searchers choose our client’s sites. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Gray explains this through the psychological concept of a schema, a mental map that helps people understand what to expect in a familiar situation. — Connie Etemadi, Freep.com, 18 Aug. 2026 In the decades since, more recent variants have adapted this schema for other settings. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 In this way, baseball is explicitly following other sports, which were earlier to invest in state-of-the-art multifactor sound systems, huge screens, and sophisticated lighting schemas. — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for schema

Word History

Etymology

Greek schēmat-, schēma

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of schema was circa 1890

Rhymes for schema

See All Rhymes for schema

Browse Nearby Words

scheltopusik
schema
schematic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Schema.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schema. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Medical Definition

schema

noun
sche·​ma ˈskē-mə How to pronounce schema (audio)
plural schemata -mət-ə How to pronounce schema (audio) also schemas
1
: a nonconscious adjustment of the brain to the afferent impulses indicative of bodily posture that is a prerequisite of appropriate bodily movement and of spatial perception
2
: the organization of experience in the mind or brain that includes a particular organized way of perceiving cognitively and responding to a complex situation or set of stimuli
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