ˈskēmə noun
( plural schema·ta -məd.ə, -mətə)
Etymology: German, from Greek schēmat-, schēma shape, figure, manner — more at scheme
1. : a general representation produced according to Kantianism by the imagination working with the pure form of time by which the understanding is able to apply a category to particular representations of sense
the universal following in time of something, A, by something else, B, is the schema of cause and effect
2.
a. : a diagrammatic depiction of a typical or average situation
a schema of the reflex arc
broadly : an abridged or generalized presentation : a framework of reference : outline , plan
b. : a syllogistic figure in logic
3.
a. : a nonconscious adjustment of the brain to the afferent impulses indicative of bodily posture that is a prerequisite of appropriate bodily movement and of spatial perception
b. : the organization of experience in the mind or brain