ntpdate is a computer program used to quickly synchronize and set computers' date and time by querying a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server. It is available for a wide variety of unix-like operating systems.
The accuracy and reliability of <code>ntpdate</code> entirely depends on the accuracy and network link stability of the first server it connects with. As this inaccuracy can lead to a multitude of problems, the maintainers have decided to deprecate it in favor of only using the <code>ntpd</code> (network time protocol daemon) or a <code>sntp</code> (simple network time protocol) query.