deadline

[ ded-lahyn ]

/ ˈdɛdˌlaɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deadline ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

RELATED WORDS

limit, period, bound, cutoff

Nearby words

deadening, deadeye, deadfall, deadhead, deadlight, deadline, deadlock, deadlocked, deadly, deadly nightshade, deadly sins

Origin of deadline

First recorded in 1855–60; dead + line¹

Related formspost·dead·line, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for deadline

It was Dec. 20, 1991, the deadline for the New Hampshire primary.
Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82|Eleanor Clift|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But probably because we co-edited the Deadline Artists anthologies with our friend Jesse Angelo, we feel a fidelity to the form.
The Best Columns of 2014|John Avlon, Errol Louis|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Conservatives have made clear they want Republican leaders to use the December deadline to confront the president on immigration.
The Coming GOP Freakout Over Immigration|Patricia Murphy|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I love the quote that Sharon Klein gave in the release on Deadline.
The Good Wife’s Secret Weapon: Matt Czuchry on Cary Agos’s Terrible, Horrible Year|Kevin Fallon|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The deadline set for the commission to report its findings is March 2015.
U.N. Gaza Investigator: 'Anti-Israel' Label Is a 'Slur'|Gideon Resnick|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It had to be delivered exactly one week before the deadline that had been set by the receivers for closing the plant.
Nine Men in Time|Noel Miller Loomis
Now, the others have set a time limit, and the deadline is very close.
Shock Treatment|Stanley Mullen
And let's remember our deadline is October 1st, not Christmas.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006|Various
As a result of our efforts in 1978, the Equal Rights Amendment's deadline for ratification was extended for three years.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006|Various
It seemed as if we had shipped all the human dregs of the San Francisco deadline.
The Trail of '98|Robert W. Service

British Dictionary definitions for deadline

deadline

/ (ˈdɛdˌlaɪn) /

noun

a time limit for any activity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

deadline

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of deadline

Examples from the Web for deadline

British Dictionary definitions for deadline

deadline

noun