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Synonyms

waiting list

American  

noun

  1. a list of persons waiting, as for reservations, appointments, living accommodations, or admission to a school.

waiting list British  

noun

  1. a list of people waiting to obtain some object, treatment, status, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of waiting list

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

"I think it's quite a taboo subject," says Chloe Cavanagh, 26, from Glasgow, who is on the NHS waiting list for IVF.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

There’s a waiting list via Coachella itself and there’s also an official resale market and secondary sellers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The national waiting list for non-life-threatening procedures has almost reached 100,000, including more than 11,000 children, the government says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

By far the biggest factor in admission, however, is whether an applicant has matriculated from another magnet school and how long an applicant has been on the waiting list for a magnet school.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

I'm near the top of the waiting list for the Sherbrooke Residence Apartments.

From "Doing Time Online" by Jan Siebold

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.