What does checkoff mean?
A checkoff is, at its simplest, the act of marking something off a list — placing a tick or check beside an item to record that it has been seen, done, or verified. It appears wherever systematic confirmation matters: safety inspections, packing lists, quality-control routines, and administrative forms. In American labor relations, the word has a second, more specialized meaning: a dues checkoff is an arrangement in which an employer deducts union dues directly from workers' paychecks and forwards them to the union, sparing members the trouble of paying individually. This sense carries some historical and political weight, since such arrangements have been contested in negotiations and legislation over the years. The word derives from the verb phrase 'check off', combining 'check' — ultimately from the game of chess, via the Persian 'shah', meaning king — with the adverb 'off'. Whether describing a humble tick on a clipboard or an automatic payroll deduction, checkoff conveys orderliness, accountability, and the quiet satisfaction of tasks confirmed complete.
An act of marking an item on a list as completed, verified, or accounted for.
"He worked through the pre-flight checkoff methodically, item by item."
(US, labor relations) An arrangement by which an employer deducts union dues or other authorized contributions directly from employees' wages and remits them to the union.
"Under the new contract, membership grew once the dues checkoff was introduced."
This sense is chiefly American; in British English the spelling is usually hyphenated ('check-off') in formal contexts.
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple instances of marking off or multiple deduction arrangements.
"The auditors reviewed the checkoffs on each batch before signing off."
That little tick on your to-do list and the union dues quietly deducted from your paycheck share one word — checkoff.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of checkoff
Checkoff originated as a noun formed from the verb phrase 'check off', meaning to mark items off a list. The word 'check' itself traces back through Old French 'eschequier' to the Persian 'shah' (king), entering English via the game of chess, where checking the king meant putting it in danger; the sense later extended to verification and marking. The labor-relations sense of a dues checkoff developed in American usage in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries alongside organized labor.
How checkoff is actually used
In everyday use, checkoff often appears as a countable noun for the act of ticking items off a list. The labor-relations sense is largely American and typically appears in phrases like 'dues checkoff'; British usage generally prefers 'check-off' with a hyphen in formal writing.
Easily confused with checkoff
A checkout is the process of leaving a hotel or paying for purchases at a store, while a checkoff is a mark made on a list or a payroll deduction for dues.