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1. [intransitive, transitive] 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
• A business must plan ahead (= make plans for a long time in the future ) , making use of sales and market forecasts.
2. [transitive] to intend to do something:• The company is planning a major investment programme.
plan to do something• The company plans to spend $739.9 million on capital improvements next year.
[m0] ▪ II. plan plan 2 noun [countable]1. 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• The company's plans for growth are threatened by their inability to find, keep, and manage key staff.
plan to do something• The President is working on a plan to turn around the economy (= make the economy successful again ) .
• The two companies had considered merging some years earlier, but the plan fell through (= the plan was not completed ) .
• If everything goes according to plan (= happens in the way that was arranged ) , the first stage of the project will be completed by December.
ˈaction ˌplana list of the things that you need to do in order to achieve something or to deal with a problem :• The board is drawing up an action plan to improve the company's financial management systems.
ˈbusiness ˌplan FINANCE ACCOUNTINGa document produced by a company, especially a new company, giving details of expected sales and costs, and how the business can be financed, and showing why the plan will make money:• To raise the cash they need, managers will be required to give their bankers a three-year business plan.
conˈtingency ˌplana plan for dealing with a future event or situation that might cause problems:• We tried to ensure that the company prepared an adequate oil spill contingency plan.
ˈparty plan MARKETINGa method of selling goods, such as Cosmetics or products for the home, in which people are invited to a party and shown examples of the goods for sale:• The party plan was developed for the Tupperware company in the early 1950s.
2. plan B your second plan, which you will use if things do not happen as you expect:• Always have a plan B in case your original choice of career does not work out.
3. something you have decided to do or achieve:• His plan is to get a degree in economics and then work abroad for a year.
• What are yourcareer plans?
• There's been a change of plan. The meeting's on Monday instead of this afternoon.
• The developerhas plans for 625 homes (= intends to build 625 homes ) northwest of the airport.
4. PROPERTY a drawing of a building, room, or machine as it would be seen from above, showing the shape, measurements, position of the walls etc:• a floor-by-floor plan of the three-storey building.
ˈfloor plan PROPERTYa drawing of the shape of a room or building and the position of things in it, as seen from aboveˈplot planPROPERTY a plan showing how a piece of land is being used or is going to be used5. a drawing that shows exactly how something will be arranged* * *
Ⅰ.plan UK US /plæn/ noun [C]► [C] a set of actions that are intended to achieve a specific aim: a plan/plans to do sth »The government has launched a $935m plan to create jobs.
a plan/plans for sth »Plans for a share buyback are expected to be unveiled later this week.
have plans/no plans to do sth »A representative of the bank said it had no plans to make further cuts in its bonus rates.
under a plan »A further 2,500 job cuts are planned for this year under a plan to save €1.3bn in costs.
a strategic/financial/marketing plan »Operations that do not fit the firm's overall strategic plan are currently being sold off.
»a restructuring/spending/recovery plan
»an ambitious/controversial plan
»immediate/long-term/future plans
»a three-phase/five-point/ten-year plan
have/come up with/draw up a plan »You will need to have a plan to cover start-up expenses while you grow your business.
announce/unveil/reveal a plan »The telecommunications giant yesterday announced a restructuring plan.
outline/formulate/finalize a plan »Over the next few months, the board will finalize its plans for meeting the 2020 mandate on carbon dioxide emissions.
abandon/shelve/scrap a plan »Plans to expand into Spain and Portugal were shelved during the recession last year.
keep to/stick to/follow a plan »By sticking to our original plan, we finally made a success of the business.
approve/back/support a plan »Ministers meeting in Brussels approved a plan to refinance the project.
agree/adopt/implement a plan »Get your team around the table and agree a plan of action to give more attention to detail.
»oppose/reject a plan
»go ahead/press ahead/proceed with a plan
a plan involves/includes sth »A new €30 million investment plan announced Friday includes the construction of new plants.
a plan fails/succeeds »Plans to reassure investors failed and shares slipped 3%.
► an idea about what you may do in the future: »What are your plans after you graduate from college?
a plan/plans for sth »You need to sit down and think about your plans for retirement.
sb's plan is to do sth »Their plan is to cut income tax for the lower paid.
► FINANCE a financial arrangement in which someone regularly saves or invests money: »a retirement/investment/savings plan
► a detailed drawing or diagram of a machine or building that shows the different parts, rooms, etc., including their size and shape: »A team of architects drew up plans for the new office building.
► a drawing of a room or other area that shows the position or arrangement of things inside it: »a floor/seating plan
→ See also ACTION PLAN(Cf. ↑action plan), BUSINESS PLAN(Cf. ↑business plan), CAFETERIA PLAN(Cf. ↑cafeteria plan), CONTINGENCY PLAN(Cf. ↑contingency plan), DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN(Cf. ↑dividend reinvestment plan), EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP PLAN(Cf. ↑employee share ownership plan), FLOOR PLAN(Cf. ↑floor plan), HEALTH PLAN(Cf. ↑health plan), PARTY PLAN(Cf. ↑party plan), PENSION PLAN(Cf. ↑pension plan), PLOT PLAN(Cf. ↑plot plan)Ⅱ.plan UK US /plæn/ verb (-nn-)► [I or T] to think about the details of something that will happen in the future: plan a project/mission/campaign »They spent several months planning the project.
go ahead/happen as planned »If all goes ahead as planned, the new superstore will open in November.
earlier/longer/less, etc. than planned »Installing the new computer system has taken far longer than planned.
► [I or T] to intend to do a particular thing in the future: »We're planning a change to our pricing structure.
»A number of large residential developments are planned for the area.
plan to do sth »In February of this year, the company filed for bankruptcy, and it plans to auction its assets in late May.
plan (on) doing sth »She plans on working as a freelance consultant once she has left her current role.
► [I] to think about and make arrangements for things that will happen in the future: »Job insecurity makes it difficult for people to plan.
plan ahead »The new tax guide tells you how to plan ahead to keep any tax bills to a minimum.
plan for sth »Airport bosses are planning for an extension of the current terminal.
Financial and business terms. 2012.
