Marshall Plan

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

This was a plan for aiding the stricken European states after World War II. On June 5th, 1947, G. C. Marshall, Secretary of State for the U.S.A., called upon the countries of Europe to work out a programme of reconstruction for which he promised American assistance "so far as it may be practicable.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Marshall Plan” mean?

This was a plan for aiding the stricken European states after World War II. On June 5th, 1947, G. C. Marshall, Secretary of State for the U.S.A., called upon the countries of Europe to work out a programme of reconstruction for which he promised American assistance "so far as it may be practicable.

Is “Marshall Plan” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.