A time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time, or a particular point in time, by which an objective or task must be accomplished. Once that time has passed, the item may be considered overdue (e.g., for work projects or school assignments). In the case of work assignments or projects that are not completed by the deadline, this may adversely affect the employee's performance rating. In the case of school assignments, essays or reports submitted after the deadline, marks or grades may be deducted from the student's assessment.
In some cases, no materials can be submitted after the deadline. This may occur with calls for proposal, commercial tenders for bids, and application dates for universities and professional schools. For tests and examinations in schools, universities and job competitions, once the time limit for the test is up, the test-takers must put down their pens or pencils and hand in their test.
In project management, deadlines are most often associated with milestones.
Etymology
There is only indirect evidence that the term deadline in the sense of "due date" may be connected with the 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 fact, the term is no longer found in print by the end of the 19th century, but it soon resurfaces in writing in 1917 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.
Further reading
- The Deadline Effect: How to Work Like It's the Last Minute-Before the Last Minute, book by journalist Christopher Cox
References
- "Andersonville Prison". American Battlefield Trust. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
- "The Mavens' Word of the Day". Randomhouse.com. 2000-04-20. Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
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A time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time or a particular point in time by which an objective or task must be accomplished Once that time has passed the item may be considered overdue e g for work projects or school assignments In the case of work assignments or projects that are not completed by the deadline this may adversely affect the employee s performance rating In the case of school assignments essays or reports submitted after the deadline marks or grades may be deducted from the student s assessment In some cases no materials can be submitted after the deadline This may occur with calls for proposal commercial tenders for bids and application dates for universities and professional schools For tests and examinations in schools universities and job competitions once the time limit for the test is up the test takers must put down their pens or pencils and hand in their test In project management deadlines are most often associated with milestones EtymologyThere is only indirect evidence that the term deadline in the sense of due date may be connected with the 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 fact the term is no longer found in print by the end of the 19th century but it soon resurfaces in writing in 1917 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 Further readingThe Deadline Effect How to Work Like It s the Last Minute Before the Last Minute book by journalist Christopher CoxReferences Andersonville Prison American Battlefield Trust 18 December 2008 Retrieved 2020 05 15 The Mavens Word of the Day Randomhouse com 2000 04 20 Archived from the original on 2013 10 16 Retrieved 2013 08 30 This standards or measurement related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte This time related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte
