offline

adjective

off·​line ˈȯf-ˈlīn How to pronounce offline (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The fear that what is fun and silly online can radiate into violence or misery offline is based on history, not nightmare. Kelsey McKinney, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2025 This advancement aims to heighten personalization and customer engagement across all the retailer’s shopping platforms — bridging the gap between online and offline retail experiences. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 6 Feb. 2025 Meanwhile, other pages — including a tool that assesses social factors that make communities vulnerable in the event of a disaster — remain offline. Pien Huang, NPR, 6 Feb. 2025 Gallery Improvements The Gallery app has some great offline capabilities in the S25 series. PCMAG, 3 Feb. 2025 Data sets also disappeared: More than 2,200 data sets came offline between President Trump's inauguration and Friday afternoon, according to tallies compiled from data.gov, a repository of publicly available federal data, and the Internet Archive. Maya Goldman, Axios, 3 Feb. 2025 Related article Deepfakes can cause long-lasting damage to children This mistrust is spreading into teens’ offline lives. Mary Ruskell, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025 Paywall-free reading of new articles and over a century of archives Unlock access to iOS/Android apps to save editions for offline reading Six issues a year in print and online, plus audio articles Already a subscriber? Michael Brenes, Foreign Affairs, 28 Jan. 2025 In the new complaint, the Young People's Alliance, Encode, and the Tech Justice Law Project accuse Replika of violating FTC rules while increasing the risk of users’ online addiction, offline anxiety, and relationship displacement. Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of offline was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near offline

Cite this Entry

“Offline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offline. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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