noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌmækɪˈneɪʃən/
/ˌmæʃɪˈneɪʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:M AE2 K AH0 N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:M AE2 SH AH0 N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, in-plural, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act of machinating or plotting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: intrigue
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: plot, secret plan, game
Narrower terms: priestcraft
History
Etymology
From Middle English machynacion, machynacyon, from Middle French machination and directly Latin māchinātiōnem, from māchinor (“devise, invent”). By surface analysis, machinate + -ion or machine + -ation.
Across languages
Translations
69 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
մեքենայություն
(mekʻenayutʻyun)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Belarusian:
махіна́цыя
(maxinácyja)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Belarusian:
інтры́га
(intrýha)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Bulgarian:
машина́ция
(mašinácija)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Bulgarian:
интри́га
(intríga)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Chinese Mandarin:
奸計
(jiānjì)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Chinese Mandarin:
陰謀 /阴谋
(yīnmóu)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Chinese Mandarin:
詭計 /诡计
(guǐjì)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Chinese Mandarin:
暗算
(ànsuàn)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Czech:
machinace
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Finnish:
masinointi
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
French:
machination
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
German:
Machenschaft
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Greek:
δολοπλοκία
(doloplokía)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Greek:
μηχανορραφία
(michanorrafía)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Greek:
σκευωρία
(skevoría)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Greek:
πλεκτάνη
(plektáni)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Hungarian:
machináció
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Hungarian:
üzelmek
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Hungarian:
fondorlat
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Hungarian:
mesterkedés
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Icelandic:
ráðabrugg
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Icelandic:
leynimakk
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Italian:
macchinazione
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Italian:
complotto
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Italian:
intrigo
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Italian:
cospirazione
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Italian:
tiro mancino
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Japanese:
策謀
(sakubō)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Japanese:
策動
(sakudō)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Korean:
권모술수
(gwonmosulsu)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Macedonian:
махина́ција
(mahinácija)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Macedonian:
и́нтрига
(íntriga)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Macedonian:
спле́тка
(splétka)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Polish:
machinacja
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Portuguese:
maquinação
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Russian:
махина́ция
(maxinácija)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Russian:
интри́га
(intríga)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Serbo-Croatian:
махина́ција
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Serbo-Croatian:
макина́ција
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Serbo-Croatian:
спле̏тка
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Serbo-Croatian:
mahinácija
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Serbo-Croatian:
makinácija
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Serbo-Croatian:
splȅtka
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Spanish:
maquinación
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Swedish:
ränker
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Ottoman Turkish:
فتنه
(fitne)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Ottoman Turkish:
فساد
(fesâd)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Ukrainian:
махіна́ція
(maxinácija)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Ukrainian:
інтри́га
(intrýha)
— clever scheme or artful plot, usually crafted for evil purposes
Armenian:
մեքենայություն
(mekʻenayutʻyun)
— act of machinating
Belarusian:
хі́трыкі
(xítryki)
— act of machinating
Belarusian:
падсе́ды
(padsjédy)
— act of machinating
Belarusian:
заме́ры
(zamjéry)
— act of machinating
Chinese Mandarin:
奸計
(jiānjì)
— act of machinating
Chinese Mandarin:
陰謀 /阴谋
(yīnmóu)
— act of machinating
Chinese Mandarin:
詭計 /诡计
(guǐjì)
— act of machinating
Chinese Mandarin:
暗算
(ànsuàn)
— act of machinating
Finnish:
masinointi
— act of machinating
Hungarian:
machináció
— act of machinating
Italian:
macchinazione
— act of machinating
Italian:
complotto
— act of machinating
Portuguese:
maquinação
— act of machinating
Russian:
махина́ция
(maxinácija)
— act of machinating
Russian:
ко́зни
(kózni)
— act of machinating
Russian:
про́иски
(próiski)
— act of machinating
Spanish:
maquinación
— act of machinating
Ukrainian:
пі́дступи
(pídstupy)
— act of machinating
