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
docketed; docketing; dockets
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
Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 21 June 2025
The court has received 19 requests for emergency relief from the administration, as many as the Biden administration sought in four years, according to Steve Vladeck, a Georgetown Law professor who tracks the emergency docket.
—Jacob Turcotte, Christian Science Monitor, 17 June 2025
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
The Supreme Court clerk’s office typically takes a few days to formally docket a new appeal.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for docket
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Noun
The docket shows no new court dates have yet been scheduled.
—Elise Hammond, CNN Money, 21 June 2025
The court has received 19 requests for emergency relief from the administration, as many as the Biden administration sought in four years, according to Steve Vladeck, a Georgetown Law professor who tracks the emergency docket.
—Jacob Turcotte, Christian Science Monitor, 17 June 2025
Verb
The paperwork for Johnson’s trial — along with images of some of the handwritten documents — were officially entered into the court’s electronic court docketing system in 2021, marking a final chapter in a sensational saga that garnered international headlines.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
The Supreme Court clerk’s office typically takes a few days to formally docket a new appeal.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for docket
Cite this Entry
“Docket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/docket. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
docket
1 of 2 noun
dock·et
ˈdä-kət 
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 case—U.S. Code
U.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 dockets—Rorie Sherman
compare calendar
Rorie Sherman
b
: the caseload of a court
a great part of our docket consisted of regulatory agency cases—R. H. Bork
R. H. Borkdocket
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to enter in a docket (as of a case or a court)
closure motions must be docketed sufficiently in advance—W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel
compare calendar
W. R. LaFave and J. H. IsraelEtymology
Noun
earlier doggette, docquet summary, abstract, of unknown origin
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