# deadline

/ˈdɛdˌɫaɪn/ (US) · /dˈɛdlaɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/deadline
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. time limit

noun · CEFR B1

a specific date or time by which you must finish something.

For teachers: 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'

### 2. prison boundary

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a line around a prison that prisoners were not allowed to cross.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to take out of service

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to report that a vehicle or piece of equipment is broken and cannot be used.

For teachers: 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'.

## Examples

- The deadline for the project is Friday at noon.
- The editor extended the deadline by two days because the lead writer was sick.
- Missing the final submission deadline resulted in an automatic disqualification, regardless of the high quality of the research presented in the draft.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.