deadline

American  

[ded-lahyn] / ˈdɛdˌlaɪn /

noun

• deadlines
  plural

1. the time by which something must be finished or submitted; the latest time for finishing something.

   a five o'clock deadline.

2. a line or limit that must not be passed.

3. (formerly) a boundary around a military prison beyond which a prisoner could not venture without risk of being shot by the guards.

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deadline British  

/ ˈdɛdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a time limit for any activity

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• postdeadline
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deadlines
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of deadline

First recorded in 1855–60; dead + line ¹

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deadline deadlines

When Google's Gemini 3.6 Flash was asked about voting in Pennsylvania, the chatbot gave November 3 as the deadline to request a mail-in ballot.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

But, outside of being born just a week or so apart before or after the 1933 deadline, little separated the Welsh pensioners his team analyzed.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

With the trade deadline a week from Tuesday, the 2-5 Indianapolis Colts are already starting to disassemble their roster.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

The deadline is Dec. 31, 2026 for tax on income like wages and IRA payouts that’s subject to withholding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Charging Dr. Euwe as the responsible agent, the federation warned him that it would consider the match “wrecked” if Fischer did not appear in Reykjavik by noon on July 4, Euwe’s deadline.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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

It also would give the City Council more flexibility in approving taller buildings and set deadlines to speed up rulings from the City Planning Commission.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

Teni Shahiean, an immigration lawyer at OTS Solicitors, said the promises being made to individuals facing visa deadlines were "particularly concerning"

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

And so Alma Ember began her studies and lived with her grandmother in the mostly peaceful Georgia town, allowing herself to be troubled only by portfolio deadlines and country-club luncheons.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

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Related Words

• limit
• period
• time limit

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