agenda

American  

[uh-jen-duh] / əˈdʒɛn də /

noun

agendum, agendas, agenda

1. a list, plan, outline, or the like, of things to be done, matters to be acted or voted upon, etc..

   The chairman says we have a lengthy agenda this afternoon.

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agenda British  

/ əˈdʒɛndə /

noun

1. Also called: agendum.  (functioning as singular) a schedule or list of items to be attended to

2. Also called: agendas.   agendums.  (functioning as plural) matters to be attended to, as at a meeting of a committee

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Usage

Agenda, “things to be done,” is the plural of the Latin gerund agendum and is used today in the sense “a plan or list of matters to be acted upon.” In that sense it is treated as a singular noun; its plural is usually agendas: The agenda is ready for distribution. The agendas of last year's meetings are printed in the official minutes. The singular agendum, meaning “an item on an agenda,” is rare.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• agendaless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of agenda

First recorded in 1745–55; from Latin, plural of agendum “that which is to be done,” gerund of agere “to do, drive”; the plural originally carried a collective sense denoting the various items to be transacted

Explanation

An agenda is a list of things to do. If you're going to attend a meeting with a long agenda, you'll want to take your coffee mug along. The word agenda is the plural for of the Latin word agendum, which literally means "something to be done." The noun retains this meaning because an agenda is a plan — organized by time — of events or things to do. You might have a meeting, a lunch date, and a doctor's appointment on your agenda for the day. And when you run for office, you better have a political agenda — or a plan for what you want to get done if elected.

Example Sentences

“The administration will continue pushing our affordability agenda to enable Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai in a written statement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

The thing is — the ordinance wasn’t even on the agenda.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

This so-called "action agenda" encourages countries to join non-binding pledges and other initiatives to turn commitments made at the UN-sponsored climate talks into action on the ground.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Mursal Khalif, an MP and head of the Ministry of Defence's Child Protection Unit, says efforts to stop such recruitment can face resistance - "some even viewed it as a Western agenda".

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Once he’s gone, the captain returns to his agenda.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• calendar
• plan
• program
• schedule
• timetable