Is staid é deadlock ina bhfuil dhá shnáithe nó níos mó blocáilte go deo, gach ceann ag fanacht ar acmhainn atá ag ceann eile. Ní dhéanann aon rud dul chun cinn.
Na ceithre choinníoll riachtanacha (Coffman)
Caithfidh na ceithre cinn a bheith fíor ag an am céanna — bain ceann ar bith agus tá deadlock dodhéanta:
1. Mutual exclusion → a resource is held exclusively (only one holder at a time)
2. Hold and wait → a thread holds one resource while waiting to acquire another
3. No preemption → resources can't be forcibly taken; only released voluntarily
4. Circular wait → a cycle: T1 waits for R2 (held by T2), T2 waits for R1 (held by T1)
