n. pl. sche·ma·ta (skē-mätə, skĭ-mătə) or sche·mas 1. A plan, outline, or model: a schema for prioritizing vaccinations; a writer's schema for a novel. 2. Psychology A pattern imposed on complex reality or experience to assist in explaining it, mediate perception, or guide response. [Latin schēma, schēmat-, form; see SCHEME.] |
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