scheduling

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The act or process of arranging when events, tasks, or people will happen.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable: talk about scheduling in general, not 'a scheduling' — use 'a schedule' for one plan.

   Patterns

   • scheduling of something
   • scheduling for something
   • do the scheduling

   Scheduling is the hardest part of running a small clinic.

   Good scheduling means no one waits more than ten minutes.

   The scheduling of the exams was left to the head teacher.

2. 2noununcountable

   The way times are arranged for a set of events, flights, or workers.

   Grammar: Refers to the arrangement itself; often used with words like 'flight', 'work', or 'class' before it.

   Patterns

   • flight scheduling
   • work scheduling
   • class scheduling

   Flight scheduling changes every winter.

   The store uses software for staff scheduling.

   Poor class scheduling left two lessons at the same time.

3. 3verbtransitive

   Present participle of schedule: arranging for something to happen at a certain time.

   Grammar: Takes an object: you schedule a meeting or a visit; the -ing form is used in continuous tenses and after prepositions.

   Patterns

   • be scheduling something
   • scheduling something for a time
   • scheduling someone to do something

   We are scheduling the interview for next Tuesday.

   She is scheduling all the deliveries herself this month.

   They kept scheduling meetings that nobody could attend.

Common combinations

scheduling conflict

A scheduling conflict forced us to move the rehearsal.

scheduling software

The team bought scheduling software for the whole office.

flexible scheduling

Flexible scheduling lets parents choose their own hours.

scheduling department

Call the scheduling department to change your appointment.

be responsible for scheduling

Who is responsible for scheduling the night shifts?

Synonyms and how they differ

planning

Planning is wider and can be about goals and money, while scheduling is specifically about fixing times and dates.

timetabling

Timetabling is mostly British and used for schools and courses; scheduling is more general and common in business.

organizing

Organizing covers arranging anything, including objects and people; scheduling always involves time.

Word family

schedule noun

A plan that lists times or dates for events.

schedule verb

To arrange for something to happen at a particular time.

scheduled adjective

Planned to happen at a stated time, as in a scheduled flight.

scheduler noun

A person or piece of software that arranges times for events.

Commonly confused: scheduling or scheme? scheduling or schedule?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “scheduling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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