Deadline Meaning
Deadline Definition & Usage
A specific time or date by which something must be completed or submitted.
Examples
- "The deadline for submitting the report is next Friday."
- "She missed the deadline for the job application."
- "We have to meet the deadline if we want to stay in the project."
- "He worked all night to meet the deadline for the assignment."
- "The deadline for the conference paper submission is fast approaching."
A boundary or limit beyond which something is forbidden, especially in the context of a prison or military setting.
Examples
- "The prisoners were warned not to cross the deadline, or they would be shot."
- "During the war, the deadline was enforced strictly around the camp."
- "Crossing the deadline meant certain death for the soldiers."
- "The deadline served as a demarcation line in the prison."
- "He had been caught too close to the deadline and was punished for it."
Cultural Context
The modern use of 'deadline' has evolved primarily in work, academic, and creative fields, where it denotes a fixed time by which a task must be completed. However, the term has historical origins, particularly in the military and prison systems, where it referred to a line that prisoners could not cross without facing dire consequences.
Chasing the Deadline
Story
Chasing the Deadline
Lena sat hunched over her desk, staring at the glowing screen as the minutes ticked away. The deadline for submitting her research paper was rapidly approaching. She had promised herself she would finish it the night before, but here she was, scrambling to complete the final touches hours before it was due. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, barely keeping pace with the thoughts in her head. Each click felt like an eternity. The pressure was mounting, but she couldn’t afford to fail. As she typed the last sentence, she glanced at the clock. The deadline had passed. But in her case, just finishing was a victory in itself. Meanwhile, across town, Alex was working on a much more daunting deadline: the final drafts for a major client’s product launch. As he reviewed the latest revisions, he realized that he was still behind schedule. If he didn’t meet the deadline, the entire project might be delayed. He had already missed several internal deadlines, and now the external one loomed large. The pressure felt suffocating, but he couldn’t stop now. He clicked 'send' just as the clock struck midnight. The deadline was met, but the exhaustion was evident on his face. Both Lena and Alex had different perspectives on deadlines, but they shared the same sense of urgency and determination. It was a constant companion in their professional lives, pushing them to deliver, but also wearing them thin. Yet, they both knew that a missed deadline was more than just an inconvenience—it was a risk. Risk of disappointment, risk of failure, risk of lost opportunities.
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