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a·gen·da

(ə-jĕndə)

n. pl. a·gen·das

1. A list of things to be discussed in a meeting.

a. A program of things to be done or considered: "King's broadening of the civil rights agenda to include issues of class, income, and employment" (James Carroll).

b. Informal A usually unstated underlying motive: "Everyone has an agenda, whether he or she is honest about it or not" (Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger).

3. A datebook: bought a leather-bound agenda.

4. A plural of agendum.

[From Latin, pl. of agendum, neuter gerundive of agere, to do; see AGENDUM.]

Usage Note: The term agendum has largely been supplanted by its Latin plural agenda, which is treated as a singular noun and denotes a list or program of numerous things, as in The agenda for the meeting has not yet been set. In this use, the plural of agenda is agendas.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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