deadline

Everyday

1. A deadline is the latest time or day by which something must be done or handed in. tree →
2. (old use) A line in a prison that prisoners must not cross. tree →

In the lessons

In school, homework and projects have deadlines; in adult work life people «meet» or «miss» deadlines. In maths problems you may count how many days are left before a deadline. Phrases: «meet a deadline», «miss a deadline», «a tight deadline», «extend the deadline», «the deadline is Friday».

Examples

• The deadline for the project is Friday. tree →
• I finished my story just before the deadline. tree →
• Mum works late when she has a deadline. tree →
• The teacher extended the deadline by two days. tree →
• If you miss the deadline, you lose marks. tree →
• Newspapers have strict deadlines each night. tree →
• We had a tight deadline to build the model. tree →

Note

Countable. One word. Maths: if the deadline is in 10 days and the work needs 2 days per part for 4 parts, you need 8 days and have 2 to spare. Planning helps you meet deadlines.