Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - plan

~1 n 1 »INTENTION« something you have decided to do or achieve  (His plan is to get a degree in economics and then work abroad for a year. | sb's best plan BrE (=the best course of action))  (Your best plan would be to catch a taxi - it's much too far to walk. | change your plans/a change of plan)  (There's been a change of plan - we're going on Monday instead. | have plans (for) (=intend to do something))  (We don't have any plans for the weekend - why don't you come over? | make plans (for) (=prepare for something that you intend to do))  (Julia's been busy making plans for her wedding.) 2 »METHOD/ARRANGEMENT« a set of actions for achieving something in the future, especially one that has been considered carefully and in detail  (the government's five-year economic plan | plan for)  (NASA announced plans for a new space station to be launched in 1998. | plan to do sth)  (Have you heard about the plan to build a new science park? | keep to/stick to a plan)  (If we keep to the plan the work should be completed in two weeks. | work out/draw up/devise a plan)  (They devised a plan to reduce costs. | a plan falls through (=it becomes impossible because something unexpected happens) | go according to plan (=happen in the way that was expected or arranged))  (If everything goes according to plan the first stage will be completed by December.) 3 »MAP« a drawing similar to a map, showing roads, towns, and buildings  (a street-plan of London) 4 »DRAWING« a) technical a drawing of a building, room, or machine as it would be seen from above, showing the shape, measurements, position of the walls etc  (- compare elevation (4), section1 (6), - see also ground plan (1)) b) a drawing that shows exactly how something will be arranged  (I have to organise a seating plan for the dinner.) 5 plan of action/campaign a series of actions that you plan to carry out in order to achieve a particular thing  (Get your team around a table and agree a plan of action to reach this season's targets.) 6 Plan A your first plan, which you will use if things happen as you expect 7 Plan B your second plan, which you can use if things do not happen as you expect ~2 v planned, planning 1 to think carefully about something you want to do in the future, and decide exactly how you will do it  (We've been planning this visit for months - you can't cancel now. | The whole operation went exactly as planned.) + on  (We hadn't planned on having so many guests - we'll never have enough food for them all!) plan ahead (=make plans for a long time in the future)  (Now that you're pregnant, you'll have to plan ahead.) 2 to intend to do something, especially when you have definite plans for how you will do it  (plan to do sth)  (Josie planned to work until she had saved enough money to go to nursing school.) 3 to think about something you are going to make, and decide what it will be like; design2  (Planning a small garden is often difficult.) plan sth out phr v to plan something carefully, considering all the possible problems  (I'll get the maps so we can plan out our route.)