Word Drift · History of Words
Where does the word "deadline" come from?
"Deadline" in the sense of a time limit is recorded by 1919 in American newspaper jargon, for the last minute copy could go to the printer. It is simply dead plus line, and it was perhaps influenced by the "dead line" of Civil War prison camps (1864), a boundary prisoners could be shot for crossing.
Source: “deadline” in the Online Etymology Dictionary (Etymonline), read 2026-10-19.
Hear the full story
The Word Drift episode Where do everyday English phrases come from? tells the deadline story slowly, for sleep. Start at 46:43, the Deadline chapter.
Questions
Did "deadline" come from Civil War prisons?
Possibly in part. Etymonline says the newspaper sense was "perhaps influenced" by the 1864 prison-camp "dead line," a boundary guards were ordered to shoot anyone crossing. It figured in the trial of Henry Wirz, commander at Andersonville.
When did deadline start meaning a time limit?
By 1919, in American newspaper jargon: the absolute last minute when copy could be sent to the printer.
Was "deadline" used in other senses before that?
Yes. In the late 1800s and early 1900s it was used for various "absolute or final limit" senses, including an upper age limit for hiring factory workers.