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.
The ability to dial down imports this way is the result of years of planning by Beijing to reduce dependence on overseas oil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I knew there’d be no Aubrey Plaza here to save my ass,” he says, although he and Schumacker are now planning a movie adaptation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
We’re planning to keep digging into this fascinating topic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Lycett's next focus is a new live TV show, The Lycett Arms, coming later this year to Channel 4, and he is also planning a tour for next year.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“We came up with that last night when we were planning your day. I don’t remember if it was Paris or Rio who thought of it.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
