Deadline
The latest agreed time by which an outcome action or decision must be completed.
Plain English
The point after which being unfinished has a consequence.
In context
A useful deadline includes the exact date timezone scope and reason so teams can evaluate urgency and tradeoffs.
Example
“The compliance submission has a fixed deadline of Friday at five.”
When you'll hear this
- delivery planning
- regulatory work
- project tracking
Common misunderstanding
A deadline differs from an ETA: one states a required boundary while the other forecasts completion.
Also known as
due datehard deadline
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-27
