: a list of recordings to be played on the air by a radio station
also : a similar list used for organizing a personal digital music collection

Examples of playlist in a Sentence

Most of the city's DJs have added the song to their playlists.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Barack Obama shared his annual summer playlist and reading list Thursday, and took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late Irish singer-songwriter and actor Glen Hansard while doing so. Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026 Saturday night, on the other hand, might be a trickier puzzle to solve, as the Strokes and the XX, two bands that filled playlists and were icons to Millennials and fans of pop and rock, will be ending the night. Noe Padilla, USA Today, 31 July 2026 The former president’s annual summer playlists have become a cultural event, generating a widespread discussion on social media as fans dissect his music choices and debate notable inclusions and omissions. Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2026 Obama shared the playlist a day after dropping his summer reading list, which had included Tayari Jones’ Kin, Ann Patchett’s Whistler and Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine. Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for playlist

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of playlist was in 1972

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Cite this Entry

“Playlist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playlist. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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