eleventh hour

noun

1. the last possible moment for doing something.

   to change plans at the eleventh hour.

eleventh hour

noun

1. 1. the latest possible time; last minute

   2. ( as modifier )

      an eleventh-hour decision

eleventh hour

1. The last minute: “The water bombers arrived at the eleventh hour — just in time to prevent the forest fire from engulfing the town.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of eleventh hour¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Idioms and Phrases

The latest possible time, as in We turned in our report at the eleventh hour. This term is thought to allude to the parable of the laborers (Matthew 20:1–16), in which those workers hired at the eleventh hour of a twelve-hour working day were paid the same amount as those who began in the first hour. [Early 1800s]