schema

8 synonyms for schema, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — An outline, plan or model showing how the parts of something fit together.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

framework model plan structure scheme frame

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

outline

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

mental model

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

An outline, plan or model showing how the parts of something fit together.

“The report sets out a schema for reorganising the department.”

framework outline model plan structure scheme

2. noun psychology

A mental framework built from past experience that a person uses to organise and interpret new information.

“A child's schema for dog has to stretch the first time it meets a chihuahua.”

mental model frame

How to use schema

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

database schema schema validation cognitive schema schema migration

Technical or academic; rare in casual speech.

Etymology

From Greek skhema "form, figure, appearance".

Full origin of schema →

Frequently asked questions

What is the plural of schema?

Both schemas and schemata are correct. Schemas is now normal in computing and in general use; schemata survives mainly in psychology, philosophy and academic writing.

What is the difference between a schema and a database?

The database is the actual store of data; the schema is the blueprint describing its shape, saying which tables exist, what columns they hold and how they relate. In some systems, such as PostgreSQL, schema also names a namespace grouping tables inside one database.

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plan model structure frame scheme framework outline

Nearby words

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