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

Post-services carried out ranged from offline editing by Tambet Tasuja, visual effects by Frost FX, and trailers and creation of promo clips and trailers by Tallinn Postworks, according to Estonian co-production outfit Taska Film. —Annika Pham, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025

These bespoke commissions are providing a strong new revenue stream for e-commerce players on and offline. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2025

In the days after the attack, Nick’s family went completely offline. —Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025

This license works offline and installs directly on your Windows computer. —PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025

Erin Nicholson is the strategic communications adviser for ChildFund International, a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting children online and offline. —Erin Nicholson, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2025

Campground networks, cellular signals and satellite visibility can all be unpredictable, so keep offline maps downloaded and a secondary way to connect when the unexpected happens. —Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025

As infrastructure investments grow, governments are demanding that large language models deployed in Africa actually reflect local realities, given that nearly a billion Africans are still offline while LLMs are trained on internet data, Kallot said. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025

Whereas many vintage retailers stay offline, The Barn Owl embraces e-commerce. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 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