deadline

American  

[ded-lahyn] / ˈdɛdˌlaɪn /

noun

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

• postdeadline adjective

Etymology

Origin of deadline

First recorded in 1855–60; dead + line ¹

Example Sentences

I had a column to write on deadline and relished the idea of doing so in comfort with a side of pampering.

From The Wall Street Journal

Beyond Meat said it is unable to file its annual report by the deadline because it needs more time to complete its fourth-quarter and year-end financial close procedures.

From The Wall Street Journal

The 217-year-old firm secured an extension, giving it a new deadline of 8 April to secure its future.

From BBC

The company recently asked U.S. regulators to either waive a July 30 deadline or give it another two years to put half of its planned 3,232-satellite constellation in orbit.

From MarketWatch

With the sides still far apart and a deadline looming, the league’s goal is to avoid a repeat of 2012 by crafting a blueprint based on lessons learned from everything that went wrong.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• limit
• period
• time limit