to-do list

noun

1. a list of things that one wants to get done or that need to get done:

   No, I haven’t bought the gift yet, but it’s on my to-do list.

Word History and Origins

Origin of to-do list¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Both male and female supporters embodied the vibe of any adult woman who smiles as she checks off her lengthy to-do list, busy but grateful to have such a full life.

From Salon

Don’t wake up tomorrow thinking you could have done more, because if Harris loses, the to-do list, as well as the odds of success, will be much, much longer than you can possibly imagine.

From Slate

Still, for a club that has openings in its starting rotation, and has long revolved around the three-time Cy Young Award winner and former National League most valuable player, retaining Kershaw — officially — was on the Dodgers’ offseason to-do list.

From Los Angeles Times

Vice President Kamala Harris ended her campaign for the presidency with a series of rallies in which she promised to turn the page and put the U.S. on a more stable and hopeful trajectory, pledging not to seek revenge but to “spend every day working on my to-do list on your behalf.”

From Los Angeles Times

Harris did not mention Trump by name, but noted that if elected, she would not concern herself with an “enemies list” — an apparent reference to the former president’s now-routine remarks in recent weeks about those he says have wronged him — and would instead “spend every day working on my to-do list on your behalf.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• order of the day