schedule

1 of 3

noun (1)

sched·​ule ˈske-(ˌ)jül How to pronounce schedule (audio)
-jəl
Canadian also
ˈshe- How to pronounce schedule (audio)
British usually
ˈshe-(ˌ)dyül How to pronounce schedule (audio)
Synonyms of schedule
1
: program
especially : a procedural plan that indicates the time and sequence of each operation
finished on schedule
2
: a written or printed list, catalog, or inventory
also : timetable sense 1
3
: a body of items to be dealt with : agenda
4
a
: a statement of supplementary details appended to a legal or legislative document
b
obsolete : a written document
5
often Schedule : a governmental list of drugs all subject to the same legal restrictions and controls
—usually used with a Roman numeral I to V indicating decreasing potential for abuse or addiction

schedule

2 of 3

verb

scheduled; scheduling

transitive verb

1
: to appoint, assign, or designate for a fixed time
2
a
: to place in a schedule
b
: to make a schedule of
scheduler noun

scheduler

3 of 3

noun (2)

sched·​ul·​er
-lə(r)
plural -s
: a preparer of a schedule

Synonyms of schedule

Relevance

Noun (1)

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of schedule in a Sentence

Noun (1) I have a hectic schedule this week. Students are planning their class schedules for next year. Sorting the mail is part of her daily schedule. I lost my class schedule. Verb We scheduled a meeting for next week. I need to schedule a doctor's appointment.
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.
Noun
To make up the difference, the school adjusted its bell schedule, including adding time to class periods. — Conor McGill, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is in town this weekend (see the article for a schedule of stops), and Gregory got a privileged place inside the bun for a spin around the city. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
On Thursday, Parton appeared virtually to accept the Poet’s Award at the Academy of Country Music Awards, one of multiple recent events the country legend joined remotely (she was never scheduled to attend the ACM Honors to appear in person). — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2026 According to the District Attorney’s Office, there were 571 parole hearings scheduled last year for people sentenced in San Diego to life in prison. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for schedule

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Medieval Latin scedula slip, page, charter, from Late Latin schedula slip of paper, diminutive of Latin *scheda strip of papyrus, probably back-formation from Latin schedium impromptu speech, from Greek schedion, from neuter of schedios casual; akin to Greek schedon near at hand, echein to seize, have

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Verb

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of schedule was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing schedule

Browse Nearby Words

schedular
schedule
schedule bond
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Schedule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schedule. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

schedule

1 of 2 noun
sched·​ule ˈskej-ü(ə)l How to pronounce schedule (audio)
-əl
Canadian also ˈshej-
British usually ˈshed-yü(ə)l
1
a
: a written or printed list or catalog
a schedule of social events
b
: timetable
a plane schedule
a schedule for completion of the school
2
: program entry 1 sense 3, agenda
my schedule for tomorrow

schedule

2 of 2 verb
scheduled; scheduling
1
: to place in a schedule
schedule a meeting
2
: to make a schedule of
scheduled my income and debts

Medical Definition

schedule

1 of 2 noun
sched·​ule
ˈskej-(ˌ)ü(ə)l, ˈskej-əl, Canadian also ˈshej-, British usually ˈshed-(ˌ)yü(ə)l
1
: a program or plan that indicates the sequence of each step or procedure
reinforcement schedules used in conditioning experiments
especially : regimen
antibiotic schedules for treating Lyme disease
2
often capitalized : an official list of drugs that are subject to the same legal controls and restrictions
—usually used with a Roman numeral from I to V indicating decreasing potential for abuse or addiction
the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies heroin as a schedule I drug while diazepam is on schedule IV

schedule

2 of 2 transitive verb
scheduled; scheduling
: to place in a schedule
methadone and phenobarbital are scheduled substances

Legal Definition

schedule

noun
sched·​ule ˈske-jül esp Brit ˈshe-dyül How to pronounce schedule (audio)
1
a
: a list or statement of supplementary details appended to another document
b
: a formal list, table, catalog, or inventory
2
: a plan that indicates the time and sequence of each element
schedule transitive verb

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