deadline
Americannoun
-
deadlines
plural
-
the time by which something must be finished or submitted; the latest time for finishing something.
a five o'clock deadline.
-
a line or limit that must not be passed.
-
(formerly) a boundary around a military prison beyond which a prisoner could not venture without risk of being shot by the guards.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deadline
Explanation
A deadline is a date or time when something must be finished. At work and school, most projects have deadlines. If you don’t get your paper in by the deadline, you won’t get a good grade. If you think missing a deadline and getting a low grade is bad, think about how this word came to be: It was a line that went around a prison and if a prisoner crossed it, he could be shot. Now that’s a deadline! A deadline sounds scary, and it does frighten a lot of people — if you don't get a paper in by the deadline, you could lose points or fail. But hey, you’ll live.
Vocabulary lists containing deadline
"LAFFF"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Employment, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Journalism Jargon
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They are facing an impending deadline that could abruptly cut off their prescription supply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
With the deadline for mailing out millions of California ballots nearing, Los Angeles County’s top election official welcomed the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The Sweden striker arrived from Newcastle on transfer deadline day in September 2025 for a British record transfer fee of £125m.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Their efforts were thwarted by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who rejected the petition right at the deadline, hours before the state’s primary election last month.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
But the deadline came and went, and so did a second and a third.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
In a draft rule, the EPA argued these standards were impossible to meet and the deadlines too tight.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
When they do set priorities, he said, they often fail to drill down far enough; they don’t set meaningful deadlines and define what success looks or feels like.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
It has more rules, more recordkeeping and more deadlines.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
LAX’s long-awaited Skylink train is 99% complete yet faces mounting uncertainty, as bond ratings sink into junk territory and looming 2026 deadlines raise the specter of default and termination.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The deadlines were never-ending, and there were times when she wondered if she had chosen the right line of work.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
