, sche⋅mas. | 1. | a diagram, plan, or scheme. |
| 2. | an underlying organizational pattern or structure; conceptual framework. |
| 3. | (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. |

schema sche·ma (skē'mə)
n. pl. sche·mas or sche·ma·ta (skē-mä'tə, skĭ-māt'ə)
A diagrammatic representation; an outline or a model.
A pattern imposed on complex reality or experience to assist in explaining it, mediate perception, or guide response.