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
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
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
Mark Warren
off-line
adverb
Examples of offline in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
ATMs, card readers and banks sometimes go offline after hurricanes, according to FEMA and the American Red Cross.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Servers operated by Ubuntu and its parent company Canonical were knocked offline on Thursday morning and have remained down ever since, a situation that’s preventing the OS provider from communicating normally following the botched disclosure of a major vulnerability.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Captions were prone to more errors when offline, but translations often came out downright confusing, with both wrong words and baffling grammar.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Thanks to Google Home’s latest update, users may be able to get offline devices working again with less troubleshooting.
—Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 28 Apr. 2026
Users also will be able to download classes for offline access.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
The closure of the strait has impacted 10% of global oil volumes and knocked offline 20% of global liquified natural gas (LNG) supplies, Simonelli said.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Social media can be a valuable lifeline to some of the most vulnerable young people, like those in abusive situations or those who often feel isolated offline, such as LGBTQ+ teens.
—Jennifer Huddleston, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
The pipeline, which carries Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary, went offline in late January after Ukrainian officials said it was damaged in a Russian attack.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Servers operated by Ubuntu and its parent company Canonical were knocked offline on Thursday morning and have remained down ever since, a situation that’s preventing the OS provider from communicating normally following the botched disclosure of a major vulnerability.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Captions were prone to more errors when offline, but translations often came out downright confusing, with both wrong words and baffling grammar.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Thanks to Google Home’s latest update, users may be able to get offline devices working again with less troubleshooting.
—Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 28 Apr. 2026
Users also will be able to download classes for offline access.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
The closure of the strait has impacted 10% of global oil volumes and knocked offline 20% of global liquified natural gas (LNG) supplies, Simonelli said.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Social media can be a valuable lifeline to some of the most vulnerable young people, like those in abusive situations or those who often feel isolated offline, such as LGBTQ+ teens.
—Jennifer Huddleston, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
The pipeline, which carries Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary, went offline in late January after Ukrainian officials said it was damaged in a Russian attack.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offline. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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