- present participle of plan.
planning
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of planning
Explanation
You can use the noun planning to talk about the process of making a plan. Your elaborate tree house project will require hours of planning before you hammer a single nail into a piece of wood. Planning is the act of getting ready for something to happen — you might find that the planning for the prom and the excitement it brings is as fun as the event itself. During planning for any event, you figure out what things you will need, how long it will take, and what you will do if anything goes wrong. For a cook, planning might include finding and measuring all ingredients, gathering the pots and pans they will need, even checking that the stove works!
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.
Wales' planning system needs to be "overhauled" in order to build the homes the country needs, house builders have said.
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2026
“It requires a lot of forethought and planning to remain at home,” said Loverde, who lives in Chicago.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 12, 2026
Early in learning, the sorting task primarily activated the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for executive functions such as planning, reasoning, and conscious decision-making.
From Science Daily • Jul. 12, 2026
Several environmental groups are planning legal challenges to the ruling.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2026
“I wasn’t planning to get to that part until later,” Angela said.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
