checklist

American

[chek-list] / ˈtʃɛkˌlɪst /

noun

Also check list a list of items, as names or tasks, for comparison, verification, or other checking purposes.

verb (used with object)

to enter (an item) on a checklist.

verb (used without object)

to enter items on a checklist.

Etymology

Origin of checklist

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; check ¹ + list ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lomas explained that she had been given a checklist by midwives ahead of Poppy's birth outlining potential warning signs, including scar pain, prolonged pushing and abnormalities in the baby's health.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

A portion of the pieces in the exhibition will be available for purchase, with a detailed checklist to come.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Instead of judging athletes against a fixed checklist of technical form, coaches could focus on how each individual naturally moves.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

MarketWatch retirement reporter Jessica Hall has a helpful retirement-checkup checklist that spells out these additional contributions, and Fix My Portfolio columnist Beth Pinsker dug into the IRS rules around catch-ups for high earners.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

What I did not know at that time was that as he ran through his preflight checklist two days before the scheduled launch date, he was evaluating the data that the IBM computer had generated.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023