Word
deadline
Phoneticsdead·line, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɛdˌɫaɪn/
UK/dˈɛdlaɪn/
Definitions
01time limit
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a specific date or time by which you must finish something.
n. a date or time before which a task must be completed or a goal must be reached.
“The deadline for the project is Monday morning, so we need to work quickly.”
“The editorial team struggled to meet the strict deadline, as several key contributors submitted their drafts much later than originally agreed.”
Usage
often used with the verbs 'meet', 'miss', or 'set'
Pitfall
I have a deadline for Friday.
I have a deadline on Friday.
Use 'on' for the day the deadline occurs, or 'of' to specify the deadline itself.
Synonyms
02prison boundary
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic
n. a line around a prison that prisoners were not allowed to cross.
n. a physical boundary around a prison camp, crossing which would result in a prisoner being shot.
“In the old prison camp, the deadline was a fence that no one dared to touch.”
“Historical accounts of the Civil War prison camps describe the deadline as a simple wooden railing that marked the limit of a prisoner's safe movement.”
Teaching tip
This is the historical origin of the modern word, but it is rarely used today except in history books.
03to take out of service
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
v. to report that a vehicle or piece of equipment is broken and cannot be used.
v. to designate a piece of equipment, such as a vehicle or aircraft, as non-mission-capable or unfit for service.
“The mechanic had to deadline the truck because the brakes were not safe.”
“The commander was forced to deadline three transport aircraft after a routine inspection revealed significant structural fatigue in the wings.”
Usage
transitive verb often used in maintenance reports
Teaching tip
This is specific to military or heavy industry contexts; everyday speakers would just say 'it's broken' or 'out of order'.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “deadline” in context.
Verb
01. extend a deadline
“The professor agreed to extend the deadline by two days because I was ill.”
verb + noun
02. meet a deadline
“We had to work overtime all week to meet the deadline for the project.”
verb + noun
03. miss a deadline
“If you miss the deadline, your application will not be considered.”
verb + noun
04. set a deadline
“The manager set a strict deadline for the final report.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. looming deadline
“The looming deadline for the tax return is making everyone nervous.”
adj + noun
06. tight deadline
“We are working to a very tight deadline, so there is no time for mistakes.”
adj + noun
Preposition
07. ahead of the deadline
“She managed to submit her thesis two weeks ahead of the deadline.”
prep + noun
08. on a deadline
“Journalists are always working on a deadline to get the news out.”
prep + noun
09. deadline passes
Real-World Examples
“A longer term deadline for phasing out new hybrid sales would also remain in place for 2035.” “It’s now been around a month and half since the deadline for Spain’s annual income tax return (June 30th), known as the declaración de la renta.” Etymology
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, early usage refers to lines that do not move, such as one used in angling. Slightly later American usage refers to a boundary in a prison which prisoners must not cross. There is only indirect evidence that the sense of "due date" may be connected with this use of the term in prison camps during the American Civil War, when it referred to a physical line or boundary beyond which prisoners were shot. In 1904, in a report from the US Department of Commerce and Labor, the term is used for "minimum work goals" (and in contrast to bonus line): for example, as a typographer the line could be 18,000 ems per day; should one not cross this line, then that could have negative consequences. In 1917, the term is attested as a printing term for a guideline on the bed of a printing press beyond which text will not print. Three years later, the term is found in print in the sense of "time limit" in the closely connected publishing industry, indicating the time after which material would not make it into a newspaper or periodical.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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