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Prepare vs. Plan — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Prepare and Plan

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Definitions

Prepare

To make ready beforehand for a specific purpose, as for an event or occasion
The teacher prepared the students for the exams.

Plan

A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with details of timing and resources, used to achieve an objective to do something. It is commonly understood as a temporal set of intended actions through which one expects to achieve a goal.

Prepare

To put together or make by combining various elements or ingredients; manufacture or compound
Prepared a meal.
Prepared the lecture.

Plan

An orderly or step-by-step conception or proposal for accomplishing an objective
A plan for improving math instruction.

Prepare

To fit out; equip
Prepared the ship for an arctic expedition.

Plan

A proposed or intended course of action
Had no plans for the evening.
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Prepare

(Music) To lead up to and soften (a dissonance or its impact) by means of preparation.

Plan

A systematic arrangement of elements or important parts; a configuration or outline
A seating plan.
The plan of a story.

Prepare

To make things or oneself ready
I must prepare for my trip.

Plan

A drawing or diagram made to scale showing the structure or arrangement of something.

Prepare

(transitive) To make ready for a specific future purpose; to set up; to assemble or equip.
We prepared the spacecraft for takeoff.

Plan

In perspective rendering, one of several imaginary planes perpendicular to the line of vision between the viewer and the object being depicted.
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Prepare

(transitive) To make ready for eating or drinking; to cook.
We prepared a fish for dinner.

Plan

A program or policy stipulating a service or benefit
A pension plan.

Prepare

(intransitive) To make oneself ready; to get ready, make preparation.
We prepared for a bumpy ride.

Plan

To formulate a scheme or program for the accomplishment, enactment, or attainment of
Plan a campaign.

Prepare

(transitive) To produce or make by combining elements; to synthesize, compound.
She prepared a meal from what was left in the cupboards.

Plan

To have as a specific aim or purpose; intend
They plan to buy a house.

Prepare

(obsolete) preparation

Plan

To draw or make a graphic representation of.

Prepare

To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson.
Our souls, not yet prepared for upper light.

Plan

To make plans.

Prepare

To procure as suitable or necessary; to get ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defence; to prepare an entertainment.
That they may prepare a city for habitation.

Plan

A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc.
The plans for many important buildings were once publicly available.

Prepare

To make all things ready; to put things in order; as, to prepare for a hostile invasion.

Plan

A set of intended actions, usually mutually related, through which one expects to achieve a goal.
He didn't really have a plan; he had a goal and a habit of control.

Prepare

To make one's self ready; to get ready; to take the necessary previous measures; as, to prepare for death.

Plan

A two-dimensional drawing of a building as seen from above with obscuring or irrelevant details such as roof removed, or of a floor of a building, revealing the internal layout; as distinct from the elevation.
Seen in plan, the building had numerous passageways not apparent to visitors.

Prepare

Preparation.

Plan

A method; a way of procedure; a custom.

Prepare

Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc;
Get the children ready for school!
Prepare for war
I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill

Plan

A subscription to a service.
A phone plan
An Internet plan

Prepare

Prepare for eating by applying heat;
Cook me dinner, please
Can you make me an omelette?
Fix breakfast for the guests, please

Plan

(transitive) To design (a building, machine, etc.).
The architect planned the building for the client.

Prepare

To prepare verbally, either for written or spoken delivery;
Prepare a report
Prepare a speech

Plan

(transitive) To create a plan for.
They jointly planned the project in phases, with good detail for the first month.

Prepare

Arrange by systematic planning and united effort;
Machinate a plot
Organize a strike
Devise a plan to take over the director's office

Plan

(intransitive) To intend.
He planned to go, but work intervened.

Prepare

Prepare (someone) for a future role or function;
He is grooming his son to become his successor
The prince was prepared to become King one day
They trained him to be a warrior

Plan

(intransitive) To make a plan.
They planned for the worst, bringing lots of emergency supplies.

Prepare

Create by training and teaching;
The old master is training world-class violinists
We develop the leaders for the future

Plan

A draught or form; properly, a representation drawn on a plane, as a map or a chart; especially, a top view, as of a machine, or the representation or delineation of a horizontal section of anything, as of a building; a graphic representation; a diagram.

Prepare

Lead up to and soften by sounding the dissonant note in it as a consonant note in the preceding chord;
Prepare the discord in bar 139

Plan

A scheme devised; a method of action or procedure expressed or described in language; a project; as, the plan of a constitution; the plan of an expedition.
God's plans like lines pure and white unfold.

Prepare

Undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession;
She is training to be a teacher
He trained as a legal aid

Plan

A method; a way of procedure; a custom.
The simple plan,That they should take who have the power,And they should keep who can.

Plan

To form a delineation of; to draught; to represent, as by a diagram.

Plan

To scheme; to devise; to contrive; to form in design; as, to plan the conquest of a country.
Even in penance, planning sins anew.

Plan

A series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished;
They drew up a six-step plan
They discussed plans for a new bond issue

Plan

An arrangement scheme;
The awkward design of the keyboard made operation difficult
It was an excellent design for living
A plan for seating guests

Plan

Scale drawing of a structure;
The plans for City Hall were on file

Plan

Have the will and intention to carry out some action;
He plans to be in graduate school next year
The rebels had planned turmoil and confusion

Plan

Make plans for something;
He is planning a trip with his family

Plan

Make or work out a plan for; devise;
They contrived to murder their boss
Design a new sales strategy
Plan an attack

Plan

Make a design of; plan out in systematic, often graphic form;
Design a better mousetrap
Plan the new wing of the museum

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