Pl. agends (obs. or arch.), agenda. [ad. L. agendum that which is to be done; gerundive of agĕre to do.] The Eng. forms agend, agends are now apparently obs.; for the former the L. agendum occurs, but the only part in ordinary use is the pl. agenda.]
1. gen. in pl. Things to be done; matters of practice, as distinguished from matters of belief.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Divines speak of the agenda of a christian, meaning the things to be practised by way of contradistinction from credenda or the things to be believed.
1860. Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea, i. § 67. Notwithstanding all that has been done … there still remain many agenda.
† 2. Matters of ecclesiastical practice or ritual. Obs.
1629. Andrewes, Answ. Cdl. Perron, 1 (L.). It is the Agend of the Church, he should have held him to.
1642. Wilcocks, Eng. Prot. Apol., 34 (T.). For the matter of our worship, our credends, our agends, are all according to the rule.
1775. Ash, Agenda, the service of the church.
3. The items of business to be considered at a meeting.
1882. Pall Mall G., 16 Sept., 3. The most important item in the agenda is to discuss the amendment of the Employers’ Liability Act.
4. coll. sing. A memorandum book. (Cf. Fr. agenda.)
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Agenda is also used for a book containing notes, or memorandums of things necessary to be done.
1875. Poste, Gaius, II. (ed. 2), 300. Codicillus denotes … a pocket-book, an agenda.
