deadline
Americannoun
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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
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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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for April 15–April 21, 2023
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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.
DCC said it agreed to an extension of the deadline for the consortium to make a formal offer for the company or walk away until July 8 so that the companies can continue talks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
There is no legal deadline for the EU's investigation to end.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
At Joon Um’s tax and accounting firm, new clients are told to finish their paperwork by March 1, or his team may be too busy to make the April 15 deadline.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Canada has formally requested a renewal of the North American free trade agreement with the US and Mexico, called the USMCA, as the July deadline to renegotiate the pact looms.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Let’s not panic when Mom had to push back the next Harriet book deadline because she was so tired, she couldn’t think straight.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
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.
