What does agenda mean?
An agenda is, most literally, the list of items scheduled for discussion at a meeting — circulated in advance so participants know what will be covered and in what order. Over time the word has broadened to mean any set of priorities or goals a person or organization intends to pursue, as when a politician is said to have a reform agenda. In this extended sense it can carry a slightly suspicious connotation: a "hidden agenda" implies concealed or self-interested motives behind someone's stated position. The word comes from Latin agendum, meaning "something to be done," and although it was originally plural in form, English has treated it as a singular noun since the nineteenth century. Today it is indispensable vocabulary for business, politics, and everyday planning alike, appearing everywhere from committee minutes to casual talk about what someone "really wants."
nounA list of items to be discussed or acted upon at a meeting; more broadly, the underlying aims or priorities that drive a person, group, or organization.
- The formal list of items to be discussed at a meeting.
- A person's or group's underlying aims, motives, or priorities (often with a hint of self-interest, as in 'hidden agenda').
"Climate change topped the agenda at the summit."
"Please review the agenda before Thursday's board meeting."
"Critics accused the new policy of serving a political agenda rather than the public interest."
When referring to multiple separate lists or programs, the plural "agendas" is standard; "agenda" itself functions as a singular noun.
"Each committee member received copies of the agendas for both morning sessions."
"Agenda" is grammatically a plural — it's Latin for "things to be done" — yet English speakers have used it as a singular noun since the 19th century, and no one is going back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of agenda
Agenda derives from Latin agendum, the neuter gerundive of agere ("to do, drive, act"), literally meaning "things that ought to be done." It entered English in the seventeenth century in religious contexts, referring to items of church service or business, and by the nineteenth century had become the standard term for a meeting's list of business. Although grammatically plural in origin, it has been used as a singular noun in English since around that time. It shares its root with words such as agent, agile, and act, all ultimately from the same Latin verb.
How agenda is actually used
Originally a plural Latin noun, agenda became accepted as a singular mass noun in English in the 19th century; using it as a plural ("the agenda are...") is now considered incorrect. The phrase "hidden agenda" carries a mildly negative connotation of concealed motives. In everyday speech, "agenda" often means one's personal to-do list or set of priorities, not just a formal meeting document.
Easily confused with agenda
"Agendum" is an older, now rare singular form for a single item of business, whereas "agenda" is treated as a singular noun referring to the whole list.