Masterminded

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have ingeniously developed a detailed plan involving considerable intellect and creative thought
2. To have skillfully crafted an elaborate scheme requiring significant planning and strategic insight
3. To have skillfully orchestrated a complex plan that demands high levels of ingenuity and tactical thinking

Etymology: "Masterminded" is the past form of "mastermind," and the verb it comes from is a plain compound of "master" and "mind." Its earliest sense was literal: a master mind was a superior intellect, someone whose mind directed a larger effort. The verb grew out of that noun, so to masterminded a plan is to have supplied its controlling intelligence. The compound itself shows little drama, but the pairing is telling. "Master" in the sense of a person who commands or excels goes back to Old English, while "mind" carries the older notion of reasoning and purpose rather than just memory. Put together, they describe the one person whose thinking holds the whole scheme together.

Synonyms: orchestrated, planned, designed, conceived, engineered

Antonyms: bungled, failed, messed up, botched, disorganized