What does datebook mean?
A datebook is a book or booklet organized by day, month, and year, in which a person writes down appointments, deadlines, social engagements, and reminders. Sometimes called an appointment book, engagement book, or daily planner, it typically offers a page or grid per day or week, allowing users to see their commitments at a glance. The datebook was once an indispensable accessory of professional and social life — kept in a briefcase or handbag, consulted before accepting invitations, and guarded carefully because losing it meant losing one's entire schedule. Although smartphones and digital calendars have largely taken over this function, the datebook persists as a popular paper product, prized by those who prefer writing by hand or want a tangible record of their days. The word carries no emotional charge; it is simply practical, denoting an object of organization rather than memory-keeping or reflection, which distinguishes it from a diary or journal.
nounA book or printed organizer in which a person records appointments, engagements, and other dated events, typically covering a year with a page or section for each day.
- A book used to record scheduled appointments and engagements by date; an appointment book or daily planner.
"She flipped through her datebook to find an open evening in March."
"He penciled the dentist appointment into his datebook before he could forget."
"Her leather-bound datebook sat on the desk beside the telephone, its pages dense with meetings and birthdays."
Regular plural formation.
"The stationery shop stocked leather datebooks in three colors."
Before smartphones, the datebook was so essential to social life that missing one meant losing track of every promise you'd made.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of datebook
Datebook is a straightforward English compound of "date" (from Old French "date", ultimately from Latin "data", meaning 'given', referring to the date given on a letter) and "book" (Old English "bōc"). The compound arose in American English, likely in the nineteenth century, as personal scheduling books became widespread. It shares its elements with countless other compounds such as notebook and handbook, and its Latin root "dare" ('to give') also underlies words like data and donate.
How datebook is actually used
The word is neutral and everyday in register. In American English it commonly refers to a small bound planner carried on the person; "diary" and "journal" carry more personal, reflective connotations, while "datebook" is strictly practical. Its use has declined with digital calendars but remains common, especially for paper planners.
Easily confused with datebook
A database is a structured store of information, usually electronic, while a datebook is specifically a paper (or app-based) personal calendar of appointments.
A diary is primarily a record of past events and personal reflections, whereas a datebook is a forward-looking schedule of planned appointments.