Eleventh Hour Definition & Meaning

American

British

Cultural

Idioms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms eleventh hour American

noun

1. the last possible moment for doing something.

   to change plans at the eleventh hour.

eleventh hour British

noun

1. 1. the latest possible time; last minute

   2. ( as modifier )

      an eleventh-hour decision

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 eleventh hour Cultural

1. The last minute: “The water bombers arrived at the eleventh hour — just in time to prevent the forest fire from engulfing the town.”

eleventh hour Idioms

1. The latest possible time, as in We turned in our report at the eleventh hour. This term is thought to allude to the parable of the laborers (Matthew 20:1–16), in which those workers hired at the eleventh hour of a twelve-hour working day were paid the same amount as those who began in the first hour. [Early 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of eleventh hour

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2024, California considered doing away with service charges as part of legislation banning “hidden” or “junk” fees but walked back the proposal at the eleventh hour.

From Los Angeles Times

"My mum cancelled making Nicola’s dress in the eleventh hour despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress."

From Barron's

More woe was in store for him, for at the eleventh hour, Julia was also hired by the Ashtons, who would soon need a baby nurse of their own.

From Literature

It manages to eke out its message in the eleventh hour, but it feels too little too late in our cultural moment, despite its evergreen importance.

From Los Angeles Times

At the eleventh hour, the White House named Essayli as acting U.S. attorney, allowing him to hold the post for 210 more days without confirmation hearings.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.