diagram

diagram — noun

1. A simple drawing or plan that shows how a machine, a system, or an idea works, o

1.nounA2
Definition

A simple drawing or plan that shows how a machine, a system, or an idea works, often by labeling the parts and showing how they connect.

Example

The teacher drew a simple diagram on the board to explain the water cycle.

draw + diagram for explaining a process

Before assembling the bookshelf, Tuan checked the diagram in the instruction booklet.

check the diagram before assembling

Common collocations
  • draw a diagram
  • show on a diagram
  • flow diagram
  • circuit diagram
  • Venn diagram
  • wiring diagram
  • schematic diagram
Synonyms
  • drawing

    a broader term; a drawing may be artistic, while a diagram is always explanatory

  • chart

    often used for data or information displayed visually, not necessarily showing how parts connect

  • illustration

    a picture in a book that clarifies or decorates the text, not always schematic

Common Mistakes

I drew a diagram of a flower for art class.
I drew a diagram of a flower, labeling each part for biology class.
A diagram explains how something works, while an artistic drawing is not necessarily explanatory.
Please look at the graph on page three.' (when the figure is a labeled drawing, not a data plot).
Please look at the diagram on page three.
A graph shows relationships between numbers; a diagram shows how parts of a system connect.

diagram — verb

Word family

  • diagrammatic
    adjectiveB2
  • diagrammatically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to visual representations, but they serve different purposes. A drawing is the broadest term — any picture made with a pen or pencil, including artistic works. A diagram always has an explanatory function: it labels parts and shows how they connect (e.g., a wiring diagram). A chart organizes data visually, often using bars, lines, or pie slices to compare numbers. A graph is a type of chart that plots two or more variables on axes to show relationships, like temperature over time. An illustration is a picture that accompanies a text, either to decorate or to clarify, but unlike a diagram it does not need to show structure or function. A plan is a detailed technical drawing of a building, machine, or area, typically with measurements and scale. For example, an engineer might follow a plan to build a circuit, consult a diagram to see how the circuit works, and check a graph to measure the voltage output.

drawing ↗chart ↗graph ↗illustration ↗plan ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in the diagram
  • as shown in the diagram
  • refer to the diagram
  • by means of a diagram

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Greek 'diagramma' (a figure marked out by lines), from 'diagraphein' (to mark out by lines), which is formed from 'dia-' (across, through) and 'graphein' (to write or draw). The word entered English in the early 1600s through Latin and French.