pyramid scheme

noun

An illicit money-making investment scheme in which early investors are paid primarily or wholly from the funds of later investors, and which eventually collapses to the detriment of the most recent participants.

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Meanings

nounpyramid scheme (plural pyramid schemes)

plural pyramid schemes

  1. An illicit money-making investment scheme in which early investors are paid primarily or wholly from the funds of later investors, and which eventually collapses to the detriment of the most recent participants.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 層壓式推銷 /层压式推销, 非法傳銷 /非法传销
  • 層壓式推銷 /层压式推销 (céngyāshì tuīxiāo)illicit money-making scheme
  • 非法傳銷 /非法传销 (fēifǎ chuánxiāo)illicit money-making scheme
Danish pyramidespil, pyramideforetagende
  • pyramidespilillicit money-making scheme
  • pyramideforetagendeillicit money-making scheme
Dutch piramidestelsel, piramidesysteem
  • piramidestelselillicit money-making scheme
  • piramidesysteemillicit money-making scheme
  • piramidespelillicit money-making scheme
Finnish pyramidihuijaus
  • pyramidihuijausillicit money-making scheme
French vente pyramidale, pyramide de Ponzi
  • vente pyramidaleillicit money-making scheme
  • pyramide de Ponziillicit money-making scheme
German Schneeballsystem, Pyramidensystem
  • Schneeballsystemillicit money-making scheme
  • Pyramidensystemillicit money-making scheme
Hungarian piramisjáték
  • piramisjátékillicit money-making scheme
Icelandic pýramídasvindl
  • pýramídasvindlillicit money-making scheme
Italian marketing piramidale, sistema piramidale
  • marketing piramidaleillicit money-making scheme
  • sistema piramidaleillicit money-making scheme
Japanese 無限連鎖講, ネズミ講
  • 無限連鎖講 (mugenrensakō)illicit money-making scheme
  • ネズミ講 (nezumikō)illicit money-making scheme
Norwegian pyramidespill
  • pyramidespillillicit money-making scheme
Persian طرح هرمی
  • طرح هرمی (tarh-e herami)illicit money-making scheme
Polish piramida finansowa
  • piramida finansowaillicit money-making scheme
Portuguese esquema de pirâmide
  • esquema de pirâmideillicit money-making scheme
Romanian schemă piramidală
  • schemă piramidalăillicit money-making scheme
Russian финансовая пирами́да
  • финансовая пирами́да (finansovaja piramída)illicit money-making scheme
Spanish esquema piramidal, estafa de pirámide
  • esquema piramidalillicit money-making scheme
  • estafa de pirámideillicit money-making scheme
  • fraude de pirámide empresarialillicit money-making scheme
Swedish pyramidspel
  • pyramidspelillicit money-making scheme
Turkish piramit sistemi, piramit şeması
  • piramit sistemiillicit money-making scheme
  • piramit şemasıillicit money-making scheme
  • saadet zinciriillicit money-making scheme
Cite this entry
APA

pyramid scheme. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyramid%20scheme

MLA

“pyramid scheme.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyramid%20scheme. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pyramid scheme,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyramid%20scheme.

Source: pyramid scheme on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.