waiting list

noun

variants or waitlist or wait list
: a list or roster of those waiting (as for admission to an organization or institution)

Examples of waiting list in a Sentence

I'll put your name on the waiting list.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An individualized exercise and diet program can improve their chances of survival while on the waiting list, a study published Wednesday in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found, with the frailest patients often benefiting the most. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026 That tool shows the chances of getting a transplant in the first five years after joining the waiting list, or the alternatives — still waiting or having died or become too sick to get a transplant. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 Palmer says 1,500 people have completed the program, which has a waiting list of thousands. — Katherine Bourzac, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2026 Sephora sold around 4,000 tickets, while the waiting list was 55,000. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waiting list

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of waiting list was in 1892

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waiting list.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiting%20list. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

waiting list

noun
: a list containing names of people who are waiting (as for admission to an organization or school)
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster