sche•ma
Pronunciation: (skē'mu), [key]
— pl. sche•ma•ta sche•mas.
- a diagram, plan, or scheme.
- an underlying organizational pattern or structure; conceptual framework.
- (in Kantian epistemology) a concept, similar to a universal but limited to phenomenal knowledge, by which an object of knowledge or an idea of pure reason may be apprehended.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.