docket

1 of 2

noun

dock·​et ˈdä-kət How to pronounce docket (audio)
1
: a brief written summary of a document : abstract
2
a(1)
: a formal abridged record of the proceedings in a legal action
(2)
: a register of such records
b(1)
: a list of legal causes to be tried
also : the caseload of a court or judge
(2)
: a calendar of business matters to be acted on : agenda
3
: an identifying statement about a document placed on its outer surface or cover

docket

2 of 2

verb

docketed; docketing; dockets

transitive verb

1
: to place on the docket for legal action
2
: to make a brief abstract of (something, such as a legal matter) and inscribe it in a list
3
: to inscribe (something, such as a document) with an identifying statement

Examples of docket in a Sentence

Noun The judge had to postpone some of the cases on the docket. on the Broadway docket for the early part of this season
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Braunschweig court didn’t provide a docket number. Karin Matussek, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024 When her case first hit the docket, #MeToo was in its infancy. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024 There are another 600 comments on a separate docket for a related AT&T application. Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024 An attorney is not listed on the court docket for Starnes. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 However, docket numbers matter as far as efficiency is concerned. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2024 The case is just one of several involving or affecting Mr. Trump on the court’s docket or approaching it. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 But every brief is publicly available on the court's website, where they're listed on the relevant docket. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2024 Justin Mohn was denied bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 8, according to a criminal docket filed with a magisterial district judge. Jintak Han, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
Verb
If the appeal can't be docketed because of the money, the money is going to have to be paid. CBS News, 18 Feb. 2024 In a proposal docketed for Tuesday’s meeting, Anderson is set to ask the county to research the crimes that disqualify immigrants from U.S. citizenship and exclude from the program immigrants convicted of those crimes. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2023 John Anthony Castro -- who is running for the GOP presidential nomination as a write-in candidate -- has filed and docketed 14th Amendment cases in multiple states. Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 6 Sep. 2023 January 6th would seem to fall within that bailiwick, but, as court dockets up and down the Eastern Seaboard demonstrate, the insurrection and its surrounding intrigues remain very much part of America’s present tense. Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023 That filing is not immediately available on the court’s online docketing system. Jake Zuckerman, cleveland, 12 July 2023 The appeal was formally docketed Monday before the D.C. Circuit, court records show, though other details surrounding it will remain under seal due to its connection to grand jury matters. Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2023 The ruling docketed Tuesday rejects arguments by non-settling insurance companies and attorneys representing dissenting abuse survivors that the reorganization plan was not proposed in good faith and improperly strips the insurers and survivors of their rights. Randall Chase, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2023 By a 5-4 vote, the court held that other state officials, including court clerks who would docket the private lawsuits couldn’t be sued in a pre-enforcement challenge. Jess Bravin, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'docket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English doggette

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of docket was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near docket

Cite this Entry

“Docket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/docket. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

docket

1 of 2 noun
dock·​et ˈdäk-ət How to pronounce docket (audio)
1
: a list of legal cases to be tried
2
: a list of items to be acted on : agenda

docket

2 of 2 verb
: to place on the docket for legal action

Legal Definition

docket

1 of 2 noun
dock·​et ˈdä-kət How to pronounce docket (audio)
1
a
: a formal abridged record of the proceedings (as motions, orders, and judgments) in a legal action
the clerk shall keep a docket in each caseU.S. Code
b
: a register of such records
2
a
: a list of legal actions to be heard by a court
the nearly 500 such cases on court docketsRorie Sherman
compare calendar
b
: the caseload of a court
a great part of our docket consisted of regulatory agency casesR. H. Bork

docket

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to enter in a docket (as of a case or a court)
closure motions must be docketed sufficiently in advanceW. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel
compare calendar
Etymology

Noun

earlier doggette, docquet summary, abstract, of unknown origin

More from Merriam-Webster on docket

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