list

¹ American  

[list] / lɪst /

noun

1. a series of names or other items written or printed together in a meaningful grouping or sequence so as to constitute a record.

   a list of members.

   Synonyms:

   register

2. list price.

3. Computers. a series of records in a file.

4. a complete record of stocks handled by a stock exchange.

5. all of the books of a publisher that are available for sale.

6. Digital Technology. listserv.

   Please unsubscribe me from the list.

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verb (used with object)

1. to set down together in a list; make a list of.

   to list the membership of a club.

   Synonyms:

   catalog, record

2. to enter in a list, directory, catalog, etc..

   to list him among the members.

   Synonyms:

   enroll

3. to place on a list of persons to be watched, excluded, restricted, etc.

4. Computers. to print or display in a list.

   Let's list the whole program and see where the bug is.

5. to register (a security) on a stock exchange so that it may be traded there.

6. Archaic. to enlist.

verb (used without object)

1. to be offered for sale, as in a catalog, at a specified price.

   This radio lists at $49.95.

2. Archaic. enlist.

list ² American  

[list] / lɪst /

noun

1. a border or bordering strip, usually of cloth.

2. a selvage.

3. selvages collectively.

4. a strip of cloth or other material.

5. a strip or band of any kind.

6. a stripe of color.

7. a division of the hair or beard.

8. one of the ridges or furrows of earth made by a lister.

9. a strip of material, as bark or sapwood, to be trimmed from a board.

10. fillet.

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adjective

1. made of selvages or strips of cloth.

verb (used with object)

1. to produce furrows and ridges on (land) with a lister.

2. to prepare (ground) for planting by making ridges and furrows.

3. to cut away a narrow strip of wood from the edge of (a stave, plank, etc.).

4. Obsolete. to apply a border or edge to.

list ³ American  

[list] / lɪst /

noun

1. a careening, or leaning to one side, as of a ship.

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verb (used without object)

1. (of a ship or boat) to incline to one side; careen.

   The ship listed to starboard.

   Synonyms:

   heel, slant, tilt

verb (used with object)

1. to cause (a vessel) to incline to one side.

   The shifting of the cargo listed the ship to starboard.

   Synonyms:

   heel, slant, tilt

list ⁴ American  

[list] / lɪst /

verb (used with object)

1. to please.

2. to like or desire.

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verb (used without object)

1. to like; wish; choose.

list ⁵ American  

[list] / lɪst /

verb (used without object)

1. to listen.

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verb (used with object)

1. to listen to.

List ⁶ American  

[list] / lɪst /

noun

1. Friedrich 1789–1846, U.S. political economist and journalist, born in Germany.

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list ¹ British  

/ lɪst /

noun

1. a border or edging strip, esp of cloth

2. a less common word for selvage

3. a strip of bark, sapwood, etc, trimmed from a board or plank

4. another word for fillet

5. a strip, band, ridge or furrow

6. agriculture a ridge in ploughed land formed by throwing two furrows together

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verb

1. to border with or as if with a list or lists

2. agriculture to plough (land) so as to form lists

3. to cut a list from (a board, plank, etc)

list ² British  

/ lɪst /

noun

1. an item-by-item record of names or things, usually written or printed one under the other

2. computing a linearly ordered data structure

3. to be in a critical medical or physical condition

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verb

1. (tr) to make a list of

2. (tr) to include in a list

3. (tr) to declare to be a listed building

4. (tr) stock exchange to obtain an official quotation for (a security) so that it may be traded on the recognized market

5. an archaic word for enlist

list ³ British  

/ lɪst /

verb

1. to be pleasing to (a person)

2. (tr) to desire or choose

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noun

1. a liking or desire

list ⁴ British  

/ lɪst /

verb

1. (esp of ships) to lean over or cause to lean over to one side

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noun

1. the act or an instance of leaning to one side

list ⁵ British  

/ lɪst /

verb

1. an archaic or poetic word for listen

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list Idioms  

1. see black list; enter the lists; sucker list.

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Related Words

List, catalog, inventory, roll, schedule imply a definite arrangement of items. List denotes a series of names, items, or figures arranged in a row or rows: a list of groceries. Catalog adds the idea of alphabetical or other orderly arrangement, and, often, descriptive particulars and details: a library catalog. An inventory is a detailed descriptive list of property, stock, goods, or the like made for legal or business purposes: a store inventory. A roll is a list of names of members of some defined group often used to ascertain their presence or absence: a class roll. A schedule is a methodical (especially official) list, often indicating the time or sequence of certain events: a train schedule.

Other Word Forms

• listable adjective

Etymology

Origin of list¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; special use of list ² (in the sense “roll of names,” perhaps originally of contestants in the lists ); compare French liste, from Italian lista “roll of names,” earlier, “band, strip (e.g., of paper), border,” from Old High German līsta ( German Leiste )

Origin of list²

First recorded before 900; Middle English list(e), Old English līste “border”; cognate with Dutch lijst, German Leiste ( Old High German līsta )

Origin of list³

First recorded in 1620–30; origin uncertain

Origin of list⁴

First recorded before 900; Middle English listen, lusten, Old English (ge)lystan “to please”; cognate with German gelüsten, Old Norse lysta “to desire,” akin to Gothic lustōn “to desire,” Latin lascīvus “playful, frivolous, extravagant, wanton,” Greek lilaíesthai “to desire, long for,” Irish lainn “avid, greedy,” Czech láska “love, affection”; lust

Origin of list⁵

First recorded before 900; Middle English listen, Old English hlystan “to listen, listen to, hear,” derivative of hlyst “ear”; cognate with Swedish lysta; akin to Old Norse hlusta “to listen,” Old Church Slavonic slyšati, Lithuanian klausýti, Tocharian B klyauṣ-, all meaning “to hear”; listen

Explanation

To make a list is to put things in order or to name them, like a grocery list or a wish list. Listing is also leaning over, creating a slant called a list. List can also be a verb used to describe what you do when you make a list. You could list all the state capitals, people's names, your favorite movies, or pretty much anything. Listing can be done numerically, alphabetically, or randomly. Also, a line or surface that leans or tilts has a list, like a sagging bookcase that's overloaded. To lean in this way is to list: the Leaning Tower of Pisa is listing.

Example Sentences

The winning list secures the majority of board seats, and the newly formed board will then meet to formally appoint a CEO and a chair.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Ashley Cole won 107 caps for England, seventh on the all‑time list, but felt "discouraged" within the football pyramid from breaking out as a head coach.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Ahead of Coachella’s second weekend, then, here’s a list, ranked from worst to best, of every hit that Bieber has put inside the Top 10 of Billboard’s flagship singles chart, the Hot 100.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

But for all stocks on the list, we used estimates for the next four quarters, and for Micron, that added up to $92.56 a share, and put its P/E at the time at 4.4.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

I sat down, pulling her crumbled piece of paper over, and fixed the list, adding the two points she’d forgotten.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• account
• agenda
• archive
• ballot
• bill
• calendar
• catalog
• checklist
• dictionary
• directory
• draft
• file
• index
• inventory
• lineup
• listing
• menu
• poll
• program
• schedule