Scheduling

How to spell scheduling

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce scheduling

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does scheduling mean?

1. verbThe act of planning or arranging something to happen at a particular time.

Scheduling in a sentence

• Careful scheduling of staff shifts keeps the warehouse running through the night.

• Poor scheduling left two clients waiting in the lobby at the same hour.

Where does scheduling come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Late Latin schedula, the diminutive of scheda, which meant a strip of papyrus or a small sheet of paper. By way of Old French, the word entered Middle English as 'cedule' or 'sedule', referring to a slip of paper or a written note, and the early spelling reflected that softer 'sed' sound. During the Renaissance, scholars deliberately restored the Latin and Greek-looking 'sch-' spelling to honour the classical root, which is exactly why the modern word now carries that tricky silent-feeling 'ch'. The meaning gradually broadened from a mere written list to a formal timetable or plan, and the verb 'to schedule', from which 'scheduling' is formed, came into use in the nineteenth century. The same restored spelling is the reason the word splits dialects: British speakers tend to say 'shed-', while American and Canadian speakers say 'sked-', yet everyone writes the same demanding 'sch' opening.

How the word is built

• sched- (from schedule, ultimately Latin schedula: a small strip of papyrus or paper)
• -ule
• -ing (verb/gerund suffix)