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

• 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

Her time as the nation’s spy chief was dominated by the need to support and facilitate the president’s intelligence agenda.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

Meta began laying off roughly 8,000 employees Wednesday -- about 10 percent of its global workforce -- as co-founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg pushes to redirect resources toward an ambitious artificial intelligence agenda.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

But change on the island is high on his agenda.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

The rise of prediction markets has created a new temptation in Washington, where the Trump administration’s fast-moving agenda is giving those privy to government information a chance to cash in on the volatility.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

The answer recalled the earliest advice half-jokingly offered by a newspaper editor when the residency question had first appeared on the national agenda: Give the decision to George Washington.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• calendar
• plan
• program
• schedule
• timetable