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 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

The reason for the swing is that a refinery that serves several Great Lakes states was offline but is now back in service, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for Gas Buddy. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Brody, who isn’t on social media, also defended his decision to remain offline. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026

Bateman stays offline for the most part — his wife, Ridley, has been sharing promotions for the film on her accounts. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026

Instead of quitting cold turkey, a growing group is carving out intentional pockets of offline time, a move that’s colliding with the analog aesthetic revival, phone-free spaces and friction tools designed to hand control back to the user. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026

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
• brucine
• byline

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