playlist

American  

[pley-list] / ˈpleɪˌlɪst /

noun

• playlists
  plural

1. a list of the recordings to be played on the radio during a particular program or time period, often including their sequence, duration, etc.

2. Digital Technology. an electronic file containing a list of audio or video files that can be played back on a media player sequentially or in random order.

   to create a playlist of your favorite songs.

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playlist British  

/ ˈpleɪˌlɪst /

noun

1. a list of records chosen for playing, as on a radio station

2. a list of tracks to be played in a particular order on an MP3 player or CD player

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verb

1. (tr) to put (a song or record) on a playlist

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• playlists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of playlist

First recorded in 1960–65; play + list ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

playlist playlists

Her playlist - she creates one for every major event - is already being built as she begins to visualise how that might feel.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

At some point, Lucy went to grab his phone to look at what the song was and his playlist was open, and she’s like, “Why is the playlist called ‘The Menarche Playlist’?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

“Ravishing,” the opening track of Tyler’s 1986 album “Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire,” holds a crucial spot on my summer playlist after a recent retrospective.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

The 811-song playlist that Patricia made for her Sunset Cocktails party?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

“Anyway, he’s got some music on, and I kid you not, Justyce, the guy’s playlist went from Deuce Diggs to Carrie Underwood.”

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

The badge will appear on the banner and about section of artist profiles, as well as a note when they come up in searches and on tracks in playlists.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

When meeting potential music supervisors for “Elle,” Kittrell, Dries and Neustadter asked candidates to submit playlists that captured their high school selves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

They capitalize on nostalgia and the ubiquity of streaming playlists that compile older songs, and increase the catalogs’ value with biographical films and ad placements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

As someone who has hyper-specific playlists to regulate my moods, I appreciate that whether you want to party, chill outside or brandish your middle finger to the world, the Salon DJ Collective has you covered.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

She pressed the buds into her ears and scrolled through until she found one of her dad’s playlists.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson