Schematic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /skɪˈmætɪk/

Definitions

1. A simplified diagram or plan that shows the basic structure or arrangement of something, typically using symbols or lines to represent components and their relationships
2. A visual representation that outlines the structure and interactions within a system, employing symbols to depict various elements and their connections
3. A diagrammatic illustration that conveys the essential layout of a system or process, using graphical symbols to indicate relationships among different parts

Etymology: "Schematic" is a plain formation: it combines "scheme" or "schema" with the suffix "-atic", which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "having the character of" the base. A schematic is therefore something that has the character of a scheme or schema, a plan laid out in its essential parts. The base word carries the older history. "Schema" comes from Greek "skhēma", meaning form, shape or figure, and it was long used in philosophy and rhetoric for the outline or pattern of something. "Scheme" arrived in English through Latin and Old French from the same Greek source, so the two English words are doublets that entered by different routes. Using "schematic" to mean a simplified diagram of a structure follows naturally from that sense of outline. The adjective describes anything drawn in outline form, stripped of detail, which is why engineers and designers use it for wiring diagrams and floor plans alike.

Synonyms: diagrammatic, representational, illustrative, pictorial, graphical

Antonyms: literal, verbal, descriptive, unillustrated, non-visual