Schedule

/ˈʃɛd͡ʒuːl/ noun, verb

noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A procedural plan, usually but not necessarily tabular in nature, indicating a sequence of operations and the planned times at which those operations are to occur.
  • Grammar: schedule is listed as noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: agenda, activate timer, active list, activity planning.
  • Useful contrasts: unplaced, unscheduled, cancel.
  • Usage evidence: A schedule is an identity card for time, but, if you don't have a schedule, the time isn't there.

How to use "schedule"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "schedule" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "schedule" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "schedule" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "schedule" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "schedule" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "agenda" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "schedule", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A procedural plan, usually but not necessarily tabular in nature, indicating a sequence of operations and the planned times at which those operations are to occur.

    "To complete on time, we must follow the schedule."

  2. 2
    Alternative letter-case form of schedule, commonly used in legislation and legal documents. alt-of, formal
  3. 3
    a temporally organized plan for matters to be attended to wordnet
  4. 4
    A serial record of items, systematically arranged.
  5. 5
    an ordered list of times at which things are planned to occur wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    A written or printed table of information, often forming an annex or appendix to a statute or other regulatory instrument, or to a legal contract.

    "schedule of tribes"

  2. 7
    A written or printed table of information, often forming an annex or appendix to a statute or other regulatory instrument, or to a legal contract.; One of the five divisions into which controlled substances are classified, or the restrictions denoted by such classification. US, capitalized, often

    "Heroin is a Schedule I drug with a high potential for abuse."

  3. 8
    A written or printed table of information, often forming an annex or appendix to a statute or other regulatory instrument, or to a legal contract.; One of the nine schedules of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons. Identical to the American usage above. Australia
  4. 9
    An allocation or ordering of a set of tasks on one or several resources.
  5. 10
    A slip of paper; a short note. obsolete

    "He demands the blood-written schedule back from the demon, who refuses to give it up"

Verb
  1. 1
    To create a time-schedule.
  2. 2
    plan for an activity or event wordnet
  3. 3
    To plan (an activity or event) for a specific date or time. transitive

    "The next elections are scheduled on the twentieth of November."

  4. 4
    make a schedule; plan the time and place for events wordnet
  5. 5
    To add (a name) to the list of those participating in an event; to reserve a place or time for. transitive

    "I am scheduled for classes next month."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    To admit (a person) to hospital as an involuntary patient under a schedule of the applicable mental health law. Australia, transitive

    "whether or not to schedule a patient"

  2. 7
    To classify as a controlled substance. US, transitive

    "Many harm reduction groups and drug policy experts question the long-term efficacy of scheduling xylazine."

Synonyms

All synonyms
agendaactivate timeractive listactivity planningafternoon study blockagenda

Example

"A schedule is an identity card for time, but, if you don't have a schedule, the time isn't there."

Common questions

What does "schedule" mean?

A procedural plan, usually but not necessarily tabular in nature, indicating a sequence of operations and the planned times at which those operations are to occur.

What is a synonym for "schedule"?

Common synonyms include: agenda, activate timer, active list, activity planning, afternoon study block, agenda.

How do you use "schedule" in a sentence?

A schedule is an identity card for time, but, if you don't have a schedule, the time isn't there.

How do you pronounce "schedule"?

Pronounced /ˈʃɛd͡ʒuːl/.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English cedule, from Middle French cedule (whence French cédule), from Old French cedule, from Late Latin schedula (“papyrus strip”), diminutive of Latin scheda, from Ancient Greek σχέδη (skhédē, “papyrus leaf”), from Proto-Hellenic *skʰíďďō, from Proto-Indo-European *skid-yé-ti, from *skeyd- (“to divide, split”). Doublet of cedula and cedule. This word was historically pronounced /ˈsɛdjuːl/, /ˈsɛdʒuːl/; the pronunciations with /ʃ/ and /sk/ are due to the spelling (the latter may have been reinforced by learned influence); compare schism.

More for "schedule"

Synonyms

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