deadline
Americannoun
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deadlines
plural
-
the time by which something must be finished or submitted; the latest time for finishing something.
a five o'clock deadline.
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a line or limit that must not be passed.
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(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"
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Employment, List 1
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Journalism Jargon
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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:
It can be a jarring shift for students, because college communications before the commitment deadline include glossy magazines with nice photos of campuses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Bold was Raman filing to run for mayor just before the deadline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
But the night before the filing deadline on Feb. 7, rumors began swirling that Raman was considering challenging Bass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
The league had been facing a deadline to show it had enough player support to continue in 2027.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
On the day before the final deadline, the local organizers told Anthony that they had failed.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Alaska's vast distances, remote communities and mail-ballot deadlines mean counting takes longer.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
What to know about deadlines, options and more.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
She now ensures her elderly friends and neighbors are aware of election deadlines, know where to vote, and have a ride to the polls if they need one.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
As deadlines for the ports’ clean-air goals are approaching, they are motivated to accelerate the transition to green vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Even when they were separated by a wall of drawings and deadlines, she was still there.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
