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• last minute
  last minute

  noun

  the time just preceding a deadline or when some decisive action must be taken.
• last-minute
  last-minute

  noun

  (modifier) given or done at the latest possible time

last minute

American  

[min-it] / ˈmɪn ɪt /

noun

last minutes plural

1. the time just preceding a deadline or when some decisive action must be taken.

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last-minute British  

noun

1. (modifier) given or done at the latest possible time

   last-minute preparations

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• last-minute
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• last minutes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of last minute

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Some artists, such as the Argentinian band Las Ligas Menores, had some last-minute visa woes that could have spelled trouble for their sets.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2017

Globe to Globe went off with few hitches, rain and last-minute visa headaches aside, and now some of the companies are preparing to mount the productions back home.

From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2012

There were last-minute visa problems, caused partly by an overstuffed passport.

From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2010