offline

adjective

off·​line ˈȯf-ˈlīn 

variants or less commonly off-line

1

: not connected to or served by a system and especially a computer or telecommunications system

One of the servers is offline.

… we suggest you keep a backup of your digital assets in offline storage, too. This storage can provide some cushioning if your online investment disappears in an instant.

—The Denver (Colorado) Post

also : done or occurring independently of such a system

our online and offline lives

offline activities/events

Movies and shows can be downloaded via the app for offline viewing.

—Dan Auty

2

of a person : not available (as for communication) especially by way of the the Internet

She was having computer trouble, she told him, and would be offline for a while.

—Mark Warren

off-line adverb

Examples of offline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, the glitchy Chromecasts cannot reconnect in their current state, which leaves them offline. —Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025

Having participants retype the oath (online) or sign it (offline), rather than simply checking a box, bolstered honesty levels (at least for some of the oaths). —Iese Business School, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

After months of late-night threats, offline and online backchanneling, and eleventh-hour temporary reprieves, President Donald Trump has finally enacted 25% tariffs on imports from our two top trading partners, Mexico and China. —Tiana Lowe Doescher, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025

From algorithmic bias that suppresses Black creators to the unchecked harassment that drives them offline, the need for digital hubs designed with Black users in mind has never been more urgent. —Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025

What a fantastic concept, the online vs. offline debate. —The Know, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2025

The website was offline as of Wednesday, while data is no longer available on the app for numerous cities including China’s Beijing, India’s Mumbai and Thailand’s Bangkok, all of which were among the world’s most polluted cities Wednesday according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality-monitoring company. —Peter Guo, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025

Tobias obtained texts of former Basin Holdings President Tyler Hassen, now a DOGE official embedded within the Department of the Interior, asking a Bureau of Reclamation official about when the Jones Pumping Plant near Tracy would resume functioning after being offline for planned repairs. —Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025

And the good news is Tangle Teezer, their sales right now are 50% online, 50% offline. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for offline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

offline

adjective

off·​line

ˈȯ-ˈflīn

1

: not connected to or controlled by a computer

an offline printer

2

: not available (as for communication) especially by way of the Internet

she was offline all day

off-line adverb