締め切り

• Reading: しめきり
• Romaji: shimekiri
• Kanji breakdown: 締 (shime) — to tighten, to close; 切 (kiri) — to cut
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.me.ki.ɾi/

Meaning

Deadline; closing date; cut-off. The final date or time by which something must be completed.

A noun derived from the verb 締め切る (to close, to shut tight). In academic contexts, it refers to assignment or application deadlines. Also used in business for project deadlines and in media for publication cut-offs. 締め切りに間に合う means to meet a deadline.

Examples

1. 論文の締め切りは来週の月曜日です。 The deadline for the paper is next Monday.
2. 締め切りに間に合わなくて焦っている。 I'm panicking because I couldn't make the deadline.
3. 応募の締め切りはもう過ぎてしまった。 The application deadline has already passed.

Usage Guide

Context: education, business, publishing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Derived from the compound verb 締め切る, combining 締める (to tighten, to close) and 切る (to cut). The noun form refers to the point at which something is closed off.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal